#like she chose the most casual name ever I love it

[sbd-laytall]

Honestly, calling a pegasus from Mount Olympus "Jerry" is so valid of her.

Wonder Girl (2021) #4

[trblsvt]

wait, what? | wen junhui

summary | it was so stupid. soonyoung insisted your best friend was in love you. no way. wen junhui didn't like you that way, and you definitely didn't like him that way either. right? genre | fluff, friends to lovers, mutual pining warnings | swearing (i think maybe once or twice) word count | 1.6k words pairing | wen junhui x gn!reader minli | lowercase intended thank you for the request, it was so cute :) @g00dtimenotlongtim3

"you do realize our good friend wen junhui is hopelessly in love you, right?" jihoon said casually before taking a sip from his cup. you practically spat out your water. what an insane idea. "i have no idea what you're talking about," you rolled your eyes. your friends all glanced at each other. "what's with that?" you asked, noticing the way they were now silent.

"you two are the most oblivious people i know," minghao frowned. you still didn't understand where they were coming from with all this. sure, you liked jun, well more than like, but you were absolutely positive he felt nothing more for you than a best friend. you had quietly been living out your life in the friend zone, and you much preferred that over potentially losing him altogether.

"you guys are crazy," you frowned.

"and you're blind," jihoon shot back. "you both are."

"what?"

"nothing!" he said quickly leaving the room.

minghao was annoying. jun didn't know why, especially since his friend usually kept to himself and didn't try meddling in his business. that was his job. jun had just about enough of his friend's whining and complaining about jun's "non-existent" love life. "it's just really sad," minghao shrugged.

"what exactly is so sad about my love life?" jun asked.

"well the fact that you won't admit to being in love with ___, and that you'll die alone because you won't ever admit it."

jun stared at him. minghao was once again delusional. "okay, harsh. i'm not going to die alone because there's nothing to confess. i am not in love with ___," jun insisted, though something in the way he felt his ears heat up at your name told him differently.

"that's too bad, because they're definitely in love with you."

"no, ___ is definitely not in love with me."

"keep telling yourself that," minghao huffed and left jun to his own devices. jun fiddled with the trinkets on his desk and looked out the window. minghao was delusional, he told himself (although he knew minghao was one of the most logical people he had ever met).

jun didn't know what he was hiding. he expected minghao would've picked up by his crush by now. he also figured the rest of the guys had an idea of his pining for you. he wasn't sure how long he would continue to pine for you, but he would rather die then mess up the friendship you had. he was well aware that idea was cliche, but it was a valid fear in his mind.

he just chose to not do anything, for now at least.

"it's really just painful," soonyoung whined.

"what is?" you asked, rolling over to him on the couch.

"your chronic blindness to love." you groaned and punched his arm. "well now my arm actually hurts, thanks."

"what is up with everyone lately?" you sighed, scrolling through your phone. jihoon and now soonyoung. your friend even texted you about jun, she didn't even know him. "maybe we're all tired of you and jun being blind to your mutual feelings for each other," soonyoung rolled his eyes.

"jun does not like me," you insisted.

"but you like him."

"no."

"yes."

"fine, yeah i like him. what's the big deal?" you admitted exasperatedly. soonyoung got up from the couch and straightened out his shirt. "well, that means the feeling is mutual, so you should probably do something about," he said it like it was apparent.

"tell me, how do you know that jun likes me?" you pushed. soonyoung glanced at you, almost looking tired. he sat back down and crossed his legs. "well for one, he never stops talking about you. two, when he's not with us, he's usually with you. three, he buys your favorite snacks for no good reason. you literally have his card saved in your phone. four, he's always concerned about whether he looks good when he's going to meet up with you. five, he's painfully obviously in love whenever he looks at you. six-"

"okay! i get it!" you cut him off before he can continue. "okay, well, okay i see how that could look like he likes me, but isn't that what friends do?"

"well, i'm not overly concerned about how i look when i visit you and i certainly would not let you save my credit card information."

you had to admit what he was saying seemed to add up, but you were still having a hard time believing it. you know your friends wouldn't purposefully tell you this to get your hopes up if it wasn't true.

you just weren't sure when you should act on it.

funny enough, jihoon and minghao had walked jun through every sign that you were just as into him as he was into you. with enough convincing they got him up and out of his room to finally go confess. "is he coming or not?" soonyoung asked through the phone.

"he's on his way now, so you should probably leave before he shows up," jihoon insisted.

"okay, got it. can't believe we got this plan up and running."

"well they obviously weren't going to get anything done."

"so true, i'm leaving now. hopefully jun doesn't run into me. we don't want him catching on."

"even if he did, he was so blind to his own feelings i doubt he would put two and two together."

"also so true. see you later."

jun shoved his hands in his pockets and waited for your building's elevator to come down to the ground floor. minghao had somehow convinced him to go to your apartment and confess his feelings for you.

this wasn't exactly how he imagined his thursday afternoon to go, and this certainly wasn't the way he was planning on telling you, and he made sure minghao knew that. "just for your information, i had a plan," jun insisted.

"yeah, yeah," minghao grumbled flipping through a magazine.

"i did! a grand plan! with flowers and music and chocolate!"

"music?"

"maybe no music. but flowers and chocolate, yes."

"what if they said no?"

"aren't you the one telling me that ___ is in love with me and i should confess my feelings because the feeling is mutual?"

"yes, but i'm talking about this hypothetical plan."

"yeah whatever. i'll just go, but it will be way less romantic," jun called as he left to go. minghao rolled his eyes at his friend's antics.

"jun?" you answered the door, honestly confused why he was here. though, you did let him without a second thought. his hands were shoved into his pockets and he kicked off his shoes in the doorway. "hi," he said.

"do you want something to drink?" you asked making your way to your kitchen.

"actually i wanted to talk to you," he stopped you. you were hoping that he would sit down so you could compose yourself, but seeing him here after everything soonyoung said had you second-guessing everything. maybe he caught on, perhaps he knew how you felt and was here to tell you to knock it off. "oh okay, yeah, go for it," you mumbled.

"so i heard from someone that you like someone," he said.

oh god, he knew. "well yeah, i guess, yeah i do," you scrambled.

"and you didn't tell me?" he asked quirking an eyebrow at you. he definitely knew. "it never came up in conversation," you defended yourself.

"aren't i your best friend though? don't best friends tell each other everything?" he continued.

"yes. i suppose so."

"well, i guess i'm not being a very good friend either because i failed to mention that i also have a crush on someone."

your heart dropped. what was going on? "that's nice, jun. i'm sure whoever they are, they would be very lucky to have you," you sighed.

"don't you want to hear about them?" he asked. not exactly, "yeah sure."

"well for one, they're beautiful. another they already know me super well. they also like taking my hoodies and my credit card to pay for things. not to mention, our mutual friends opened my eyes to how much i love this person. they told me i should tell this person how i feel as soon as possible," he rambled so eloquently.

"that's really nice, jun. i think you should definitely go tell them," you encouraged him trying to make sure he couldn't hear your heart falling to the pit of your stomach. "oh i already did," he shrugged, a smile gracing his lips.

"really? when?" you were so confused. did he come all the way here just to tell you his new relationship status? "yeah, i did. just now."

oh just now. wait. just now? he laughed when he saw your head whip up at him. "me? you have a crush on me?" you asked, dumbfounded. he took a step closer to you. you could smell his cologne and felt his clothes brush against your skin. "who else, silly?" he asked. "please tell me that you like me too."

"i-" your words died on the tip of your tongue when you opted to kiss him instead. his hands cupped your face and he kissed you back softly. when he pulled away he laughed, "i'm taking that as a yes." you nodded. "for your information i was planning on a romantic confession with flowers and chocolate and a song maybe," he clarified.

"then i guess you owe me," you said. he smiled. maybe your friends were right, the two of you were blind, but you wouldn't have it any other way.

min | not proofread yet! oh no i basically just wrote dialogue! i have to work on my descriptions. also if you want to be added or removed from my taglist let me know, i don't have specific taglists for members or fic types... so let me know if you have a specific preference if any!

tagging: @a-wandering-stay @cinnamoroxie @wonwoosthetic

[roseapov]

HOLY- THIS HSR VERSION?!

FANSGRBDGVHKDFBJVSNLKACMODVSNFIBDJK LSVNK;ACM

I can't calm down!

Major Spoilers to Honkai: Star Rail Main Story of version 2.2 (about basically everything) under the cut

First of all GENSHIN COULD NEVER AND IT NEVER DID! None of the Genshin Archon Quests could ever compare to this.. Masterpiece!

Hoyoverse outdone themseves completely! This whole update was truly perfect!

(Because I saw the leaks) I was like, so Harmony MC wasn't needed in the Sunday fight? But weren't they mandatory? Why was it so easy?

Until the plot went farther and we had a real fight with Sunday! And my jaw dropped. I'm a big fan of this fight! But I expected it to be harder- I literally build my Ruan Mei with some random pieces in one day for it-

This was the most beautiful and emotional moment in this entire version! Also MC's response to 'Why does life chose to slumber'? BHJDwfabshkjnlaksvdjfbkhjsnlBKHAFSDBKJEFL

That moment and the whole quest made me really love this sibling duo! It was so sweet how Sunday was always concerned for Robin and was caring about her more than for himself. Also, Robin got shot at the neck-

I'll admit the moment when Dan Heng and Jing Yuan appeared in Ena's dream was so funny and random, but the entreance was indeed surprising and gorgeous! Honestly I couldn't stop smiling at Jing Yuan🥹

Mikhail's indentity was WTF honestly, the fates of the 3 Nameless were sad, mostly Tiernan. And Acheron's real name!

SHE'S MEI!

*inhale and exhale*

Sunday looked so good and sexy during his boss fight~🤣

I'm happy we got lots of Sunday this version and that Gallagher wasn't really as bad as I thought he would be!

Sunday in the confessional?!?!!?!? I'm dead

But I have so many questions at the end of it all, such as, what exactly happened to Firefly? And will Boothill and Black Swan still travel with us (The Astral Express) just like in the dream? Would everyone really get along in the negotations in the end?

And.. What will happen in the next update? Is story in Penacony really finished?

Our next destination will probably be

Regardless if it happened in a dream or not, they thought it was reality so it's still prob gonna be our next stop-

(Because this planet is mentioned every time, no matter which option you chose, and it wins 4 votes for Edo, and 1 abstained - if you decide to abstrain)

Btw, Harmony MC has such a beautiful icon!

AND THE WAY THIS WHOLE UPDATE ENDED? HELLOOOO?!?!!?

Why does March 7th have Question Marks?

So yeah-

This update had gorgeous illustrations and stories! I love Robin's song in Sunday's fight-

Me casually before facing Sunday's first boss-

The best part is, I was like something's wrong, it's not like on the leaks when the 1st battle with Sunday happened but I eventaully forgot about it and had a big schock at the end- A truly delicious plottwist!

I have lots of the ss's from this update...

[icycoldninja]

Hey it's me again, how are you?

So ....if you're free a request on how Dante/Vergil will react to their rather reserve and prude s/o saying that they meet a guy who she thinks is Dante/Vergil level attractive, as for s/o they were the epitome of handsomeness. And if even the guy tries to hit the reader under the guise of friendliness

I'm doing great, thanks, what about you? 😄 About your request, I chose to do a separate fic for each boy cause they deserve it. Vergil's will be out later--enjoy! 💜

Hot (Dante x Reader)

Warning: Light Yandere-ish behavior towards the end.

The one thing in the world that Dante aspired to obtain, more than anything else, was your admiration.

Getting it wasn't easy; you were very quiet and preferred not to make remarks on people's physical attributes. You liked to silently judge them from afar, noting everything about them and locking these observations away into the secure safebox that was your mind.

Only on incredibly rare occasions would you voice your opinions on someone's look aloud--and even then, you used your words sparingly.

So when you complimented Dante on his new haircut one day, he was absolutely flabbergasted. Finally, after all this time, he had earned your recognition.

From that point on, you were a little more open with him, and soon, chatting became more relaxed and natural. You began to disclose your true thoughts about him, which soon led to you admitting (though somewhat nervously) that you had a crush on him.

Dante was shocked, not expecting you of all people to be interested in him. He wasn't complaining though--this was great! He'd had hidden feelings for you as well; your reticent behavior was quite attractive to him, as he needed a stoic rock upon which he, the wild card goofball, could lean upon.

With confessions finally out of the way, you found it easier to inform Dante of just how highly you thought of him--something that sent his ego to the moon.

"You're hot, Dante."

"I'm hot?"

"Very hot."

"How hot?"

"The hottest."

"Well I'll be damned, you finally admitted it. I'm just kidding, thank you for your compliments. Love ya."

Though rare, compliments like that from you made Dante's day. There was nothing more meaningful to him than your praise and the knowledge that you considered him the greatest and most attractive person in the world.

Imagine the devil hunter's absolute astonishment when you came home one day and told him about this random guy you met who was supposedly as hot as him. He was unable to believe his ears--you, a normally quiet and reserved person, was now gushing about this man! Gushing! Praises were flowing from your mouth like water from the bathtub faucet, something that was not only rare, but unacceptable!

"He's really good looking," You continued, as you had been for the last hour or so, while toying with the hem of your top. Dante shifted boredom in his seat, resting his chin against his palm. It was obvious he didn't like this conversation, but you were too busy talking to notice. "I don't even have words to describe it...he's hot on your level. Yeah, that's it, he's Dante level hot."

At that moment, something within Dante snapped. It was like a light switch had been flipped on, except instead of turning on a light, it activated a quiet, hidden rage. Thankfully, you didn't notice; you were too busy rambling on about your newest obsession. "Say, babe, what's this dude's name?" Dante asked, careful to keep his tone casual. You replied without a second thought, not bothering to second guess Dante's reasons for wanting to know this.

Satisfied that he'd gotten the information he needed, Dante patiently endured the rest of your overly exuberant conversation, taking comfort in the fact that once you were tired of talking, he could go out, track this guy down, and make sure that he would never steal your attention ever again.

[mayiwritesomething]

Love is an Unfamiliar Name (Pt. 8)

Wordcount: 2,5 k

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x f!reader

Warnings: angst, just curse words as usual.

A/N: Our reader decides do give a payback, but things won’t go as planned and a little drama takes in, both making mistakes which is quite sad tbh.

And in this chapter, we have Colin Farrell as a reader’s friend. Why? Because i think Colin would be a great friend to have around haha. Have you ever watched his Hot Ones interview or his most recent ones from the Sugar press? If you haven't, just check it out.

> MASTERLIST

————-

The Irishman

On Friday night, you were on your way to Vivienne's penthouse for the show's after-party. Jenny was unusually excited, but you felt a sense of unease, haunted by guilt at the thought of meeting Pedro, especially since you hadn't spoken since his apologetic phone call. He had even texted you in the morning, suggesting a coffee meet-up, but you chose to ignore it, opting instead to scroll through Instagram reels while lying on your bed. As you chuckled to yourself in the car, watching the city lights pass by, you couldn't help but feel a bit childish in your avoidance.

"Why are you laughing?" Jenny inquired, focused on fixing her makeup. She looked stunning for the party, taking it quite seriously.

"Just thinking about how sometimes we just become exactly what we hate," you replied, a hint of seriousness in your tone.

"Wow, that was deep," she said, sensing your subdued mood. "You know, if things go south, at least Colin will be there to have your back," she added with a mischievous grin.

"I KNEW IT!" you exclaimed, understanding why she was giving her best this night. "There had to be a reason behind all of this," you teased, pointing at her.

"Stop being silly," she blushed, even in the dimly lit car.

"Poor Jeff," you chuckled. 

"He's now dating Annette from the makeup department," she shared, not caring much. "Great in bed, but not the sharpest tool in the shed... attractive, but better off not speaking," she lamented while fixing her hair. "How do I look?"

"Stunning as always," you complimented her. "By the way, Colin's single again," you mentioned casually.

"Oh, really?" she feigned surprise. "I could never know," she teased back.

You just laughed and continued, “Things with Jill weren’t working anymore; I still don’t understand what he saw in her; gosh, she was so boring.” You always shipped Colin and Jenny.

"Well, she must have been good at something, if you get me,” she laughed. "By the way, don't tell me you chose that backless dress just because you felt like it," she said 

"I felt like I should," you replied as the car pulled up to your destination. You could only think of how much that place should cost.

As you arrived, you caught sight of Colin engrossed in conversation with Vivienne. He exuded charm, and you felt Jenny's cold hand grasping yours at your back. You waved to Colin, who signaled for you to join them.

"Hey man," you greeted him with a hug, "it's been a while." You both had met years ago while working on an independent movie project, and you had formed a strong friendship, feeling comfortable and open around him.

"Hey mate, how are you doing?" Colin embraced you, then turned to acknowledge Jennifer. She seemed frozen. Jennifer, the queen of hookups, was caught off guard.

"Hello," she managed to say, her voice a bit shaky. You stood behind Colin, silently prompting her to ask how he was doing. "How are you?"

"Much better now," he replied, his gaze lingering on her as she blushed, causing you to stifle a laugh.

"Good to hear," she said, clumsily adjusting her hair. "Well, I'll go talk to Vivienne and get something to eat; do you guys want anything?"

"I'm good," you and Colin chimed in simultaneously.

Jenny hurriedly departed, resembling a rabbit fleeing from a wolf. You and Colin continued chatting about his breakup, and you shared details about your situation with Pedro. He chuckled at how you would blush at times. Both of you were in fits of laughter when you felt a familiar hand gently touch your back.

"Hi, Pedro," you greeted him, turning to acknowledge his presence.

"Hi," he responded, his eyes fixed on Colin. "How are you?" He then looked at you.

"Doing fine," you replied more politely than usual, noticing his troubled expression you decided to keep the diplomacy. "Let me introduce you guys." Facing Pedro, you gestured towards Colin. "Pedro, this is my friend Colin."

"Hi mate," Colin greeted him, shaking hands with a smile, and Pedro gave him the fakest smile back.

"And Colin, this is Pedro, who is also a friend." You emphasized the word 'friend' with a hint of cruelty. You poured yourself a shot of whiskey, feeling guilty about drinking alcohol around Colin but wanting Pedro to sense the same pain you were feeling.

"Cool, I didn't know you would meet another friend here." Pedro's words carried a sharp edge. 

"And I didn't know I had to tell you," you retorted almost immediately.

"Well, I'm talking to her because she is my bridge to Jennifer, man," Colin interjected, pointing at Jenny, sensing the tension rising. He could almost smell the impending confrontation between you and Pedro. Your eyes locked with Pedro's, and he turned to face Colin.

"Is there a problem?" Colin, not known for his patience, inquired.

"We're good, man," Pedro replied. "I guess I'm just interrupting your friendly gathering," his tone tinged with irony.

"Can we just talk later?" You asked, holding his hands, which were shaking, aware of the turmoil simmering within him. Part of you felt a tinge of satisfaction in it.

"Yes, as we should," he agreed.

"Pedro!" Oscar's voice called out to him from across the rooftop.

"Well, I should go," Pedro said as he left.

Turning back to Colin, who was now sipping his sparkling water, he said, "If this guy could just stab me now, he would." Colin said, looking over his shoulder. "What the hell did I miss?"

You shared with him the details of your last time with Pedro, how he had been mean to you, and how he attempted an apology.

"Kid," Colin chuckled, "the guy was just playing it cool, like 'I don't do relationships' kind of stuff."

"He said we're just friends with benefits," you stated angrily. "Friends, Colin, friends."

"Come on, dude's burning with jealousy right now,” he said, looking at Pedro talking to Oscar. “—and you, Mrs., now I understand the emphasis you placed on 'friend' when introducing him. Seriously? How old are you?" Colin's defense of Pedro caught you off guard.

"What?" you exclaimed.

"I'm not stupid; I could see that—and it is obvious you did it on purpose. I'm not a pawn, okay?" Colin said.

"Colin, imagine if Jill had just slept with you, and she tells you it's better not to act like a couple or anything because you're just friends." You vented your frustration. "And to top it off, she says the only thing she misses is your body!"

"Come on, you were both drunk," he pointed out. "Listen to me, both of you."

"Seriously? Come on! Why don't you adopt him then? Poor little Pedro, a grown ass man who can’t answer for his actions," you snapped in anger.

"I already have two children… and that doesn't change the fact that you also made a mistake," he said firmly.

"Oh great, he treats me like a whore, and you just brush it off, saying he was drunk. Now I'm the one labeled as vilain for making him taste his own venom," you said, frustration evident in your voice.

Colin chuckled, shaking his head. "Kid, both of you were drunk when that happened.” He then continued. “Dude called to apologize and asked you for a coffee today — Who the fuck does that with just a fuck buddy? Coffee? On a Friday morning? Wake the fuck up," he urged. "I've lost count of how many times I've done the same thing he did. Pretending to be just friends when I really wanted more."

You listened, feeling a mix of anger and sadness. "And why the hell do guys do this? It hurts, man," you muttered.

"Because everyone’s fucked up and scared, just like you are, just like he is.” He kept talking. “You like him; he likes you too. Why not just try to have a conversation about it with him?" Colin advised, sounding like an older brother.

“You even talk like Jen." You wiped away a tear, nodding. "You and her would make a great couple, you know?"

"Go talk to your guy; I'll find Jennifer and test my luck, deal?"

"Deal!" you chuckled, scanning the crowd for Pedro. Spotting Jenny, you pointed her out to Colin. However, Pedro was nowhere to be found. Then, you glimpsed a figure leaving the bar with two cups—it seemed to be him. Hurrying, you attempted to catch up as he disappeared into a secluded spot on the deck.

Brushing off a greeting, you dashed after him, rounding the corner and calling out, "Hey, Pedro—" only to freeze in disbelief as you saw him making out with one of the models.

Pain.

He looked terrified, clearly not expecting you to show up out of nowhere. Your hands were cold as the world seemed to be in slow motion—his touch, his gaze, his smile, just how he held you. Tears blurred your vision as you stood frozen.

"Hey girl, are you okay?" The woman in his arms asked, concerned. You were mad, but you knew it wasn't her fault. It was his; it was yours.

"Ye—yes," you choked out, struggling to form words. "I'm… I'm just…— I guess…." Tears overcame you. Pedro muttered something incomprehensible as he released the girl and approached you. Anger, guilt, and sadness flooded through you, making you feel utterly foolish.

"I got it man," you said, stepping back, your voice trembling with anger. "Let's just keep things as they are, right? Like they fucking are! It's working out great for you, fucker."

"Oh! You're the one with your Irish friend over there," he retorted, his anger matching yours.

"Because Colin is my friend, Pedro. He's just a goddamn friend," you shot back, your voice rising. "He was the one trying to convince me you were just scared of whatever shit we have going on and that I was being a bitch.” You were now shouting and walking in his direction; you were lucky the music was too loud. “Turns out, he was wrong." Pedro stood frozen, the girl by the wall looking confused.

"I didn't know you both had something," she interjected, trying to calm you down.

"I’m not talking to you!” You now faced her: “I don't give a fuck if you knew or not. HE is the problem here," you declared, pointing at him, your frustration boiling over.

“Babe…”

"Don't you dare call me that!" you shouted as he reached out to you. "You know what? Go ahead, screw whoever you want. I'm done. I'm so fucking done." Tears streamed down your face as he attempted to apologize. "Fuck you! Tonight was supposed to be a great night," you lamented, feeling foolish and angry. "This whole thing—us—it is just a waste of time." 

"I’m sorry—I want things to work," he muttered.

"Oh, I can see that," you laughed bitterly. "It works for YOU.” You were now pointing your finger at his face as you spilled all the anger. “You have me or anything whenever you want. We only meet when YOU can meet me.” The tears stopped, and you could feel your face burning. “You never care about MY schedule, NEVER! Everything is about you! You’re so fucking selfish man!”

“You agreed to the schedules! Wanna know why? Because you’re such a control freak! That’s why! —Seeing each other in the middle of the night? It was YOUR idea. Don’t play the innocent girl now,” he shot back angrily. “Who told me, ‘Let’s keep this between us’? Stop being a fuckin hypocrite and act like we were something else, and I betrayed you!” he added, his desperation evident. “You were the one who decided I was your dirty little secret! You cut the cards!”

"Secret?" you yelled back. "Have you ever put yourself in my position? I'm a woman working in a male-dominated industry. Do you know how it is to have people saying you got a job probably because you slept with someone? To have your competence questioned, despite your achievements? To have people assume there's a man pulling the strings behind the scenes? Have you ever had to deal with those things in your life Pedro? HAVE YOU? I don’t think so!"

"You love jumping to conclusions about others without even attempting to have a conversation!"

“Are you sure I’m the one who jumps to conclusions?” You laughed ironically. “Come on, don’t act like you care, man! You said it yourself! You only like the body and the sex, and honestly? You can have this with someone else.” Listening to these words come out of your mouth made you feel even worse. “I am not a sex doll... Maybe we expect different things from each other,” you said coldly as your eyes began tearing up again.

You continued, “I really wanted to be by your side tonight without feeling any guilty, but you found something better to do, and that is okay, I don’t think you betrayed me. I’m just disappointed. Part of me still had some hope that things could be more than whatever I had these last months… At least someday in a near future, you know? But as I said, we want different things, and now I can understand it.” 

"I didn’t mean like this. I really thought that you were—oh, damn.” In a moment of clarity, he realized his mistake. “Fuck! I… I… —I ‘m Sorry for messing this up. I really thought you and him... Fuck… I truly…I don't know—" he tried to say.

“I’ll tell you what to do: Have your fun, man. Enjoy your freedom, that’s all that matters to you at the end of the day,” you said, tears streaming down your face.

“Please, I’m sorry…” He tried once again, his hands reaching out to hold yours.

“Go ahead and enjoy your night with whoever this girl is, or whoever you want to be the stallion with,” you said ironically as you watched the girl disappear. You then noticed Colin and Jennifer, relieved to have found you.

“There you are!” Colin exclaimed, though his expression quickly turned sympathetic as he saw your tear-streaked face.

“I’m leaving—Jen, can you keep me company while I wait for my Uber?" Bye, Col. It was nice to see you,” you said, avoiding eye contact as you spoke.

“Of course, come here,” Jennifer replied, offering you support.

Meanwhile, Pedro attempted to follow you but was intercepted by Colin, who advised him to give you some space before trying to talk to you again.

“What happened?” Jen asked as you waited for the cab together.

“He thought I was with Colin,” you said sadly, brushing away the tears. “So he decided to be with someone else too. According to him, I kept him hidden as some sort of secret—where is this darn car?” Your voice was numb with shock, and his words still echoed in your head.

“Oh, my dear,” Jenny tried to comfort you. “He was a jerk, but from what Colin told me, things were already messed up when he arrived.”

“Things were messed up from the beginning of everything, Jen. I don’t even know if I can call that a beginning, because it was… I don’t even know what it was,” you muttered. “I just want to sleep, okay?.”

“Okay, will you text me when you arrive?” she asked.

“I will,” you promised.

 

“Keep reminding myself

That people are good

And when they do bad things

They're just hurting inside

Keep fooling myself

That everyone cares

And they're all full of love

It's just their patience gets tried”

[alluraaaa]

transgender voltron thoughts. separated by character. voltrans thoughts

this got long so the rest is under the cut

shiro

trans man. he/him. realized it as a tween. like 11

already had the “shiro” nickname from his surname but chose takashi because it’s the name his mom planned to use. his momma was his best friend growing up so takashi is a special secret name only certain people can casually use for him <3

has a model minority complex and thinks he has to be a perfect person and a perfect role model and perfect everything else. he doesn’t think everyone needs to be like this but he does you don’t get it he needs to be perfect in order to gain basic respect

(he has anxiety) (went thru a frat boy phase tho where he let loose a little)

he’s a bear. when he started t and gained weight and started growing thicker body hair he was like “FUCK YEAH”

wanted top and bottom surgery. irl modern phalloplasty can take skin grafts from the arm and for sillies shiro did that. but on the arm he lost. can’t even show off his cool graft scar 🙄 stupid galra

him and adam are t4t. he picked the name adam because his deadname is eve and he’s the funniest ever

keith

trans man. he/him. realized at like 6

randomly walked up to his dad and said “pops i wanna be a boy” and his dad went “okay son :^)” and helped him with picking a new name and pronouns. that’s why he ended up with keith of all names

his dad planned on helping him with puberty blockers and hrt because keith said he wanted it but. he died before keith got to that age :^(

so unfortunately keith had to go thru one puberty and then another. and THEN he gets a weird galra puberty in his 20s. puberties gerog

shiro was the one to help him get access to testosterone and top surgery <3 yay trans brotherhood ^_^

keith doesn’t care about his junk enough to get bottom surgery tho. he really only got top surgery to get cool ass scars on his chest. he doesn’t give a shit about gender essentialism and isn’t afraid to stab a transphobe ❤️

pidge

trans girl. she/her. also realized when she was real young

same as keith she was just one day like “i wanna be a girl” and her parents were the same and immediately accepted her and helped her with transitioning (she had a bit more social transitioning tho because she wasn’t in the middle of bum fuck nowhere)

unlike keith tho she got to do puberty blockers and start e as a tween and stuff. good for her!

she picked the name katie but it’s not short for anything. she gets the question all the time and she always rolls her eyes

detransitioning for the garrison sucked like ass and she hated it but she did it for her family. coming out to the team was a huge weight off her shoulders

she has a love/hate relationship with femininity but i already went through all that in another post so i’m linking it here. smiles 😁

lance

bigender man/woman. she/he. realizes it while with team voltron

THEE most obvious egg ever. also very obvious bisexual but hasn’t realized that either. it’s painful to watch sometimes (send help to hunk because you know he immediately clocked lance)

he likes women so much because he’s straight!!!! and a lady’s man!!!!!!!!! he doesn’t wanna be a girl and even if he did that’s a universal unspoken secret that all boys have but agree to never talk about!!!!!!!!!!!!

once pidge comes out the rest of the team have more casual talks about being trans and lance is so tbh creature at them. hunk definitely gossips about how clear the closet is behind lance’s back #messy

lance never realizes on her own what happens is keith tells her despite hunk saying that that’s rude. he blatantly tells lance that she obviously wants to be a girl and that she can do that if she wants to. and when she says she likes being a guy keith says she can be both if she wants. she can do whatever she wants forever

after that she thinks about it for like a day and then is like “yayyyyy i’m a boy and a girl and i like boys and girls ^_^”

she has soooo much fun with femininity she plays dress up and is so pretty ❤️ she is indeed a lady’s man but also very clearly wanted to be beautiful like ladies are. and she is ladies!! yayyyyy

didn’t change her name because she loves being leandro alvarez-núñez-cuesta-espinosa so so much ❤️❤️

hunk

agender. any pronouns. realized as a teen

just fully doesn’t care about gender. obviously will respect people’s genders but like. gender as a concept is irrelevant to him and he opted out of gender. he’s too autistic for it tbh

use whatever pronouns you want. make up funny pronouns. fuck it we ball

“this is hunk bong’s my best friend i love bong so much” “lance oh my god”

hunk is a childhood nickname and only family (and lance) know his birthname. didn’t care enough to change it when coming out. he likes his name!! why change it!!

he’s a genius mechanic with access to super advanced alien technology so for funsies he invents a machine that can do instant top and/or bottom surgery with no problem. he can mess around with it for funsies or fashion or whatever. and ofc the team has free access to it as well <3 the only one to use it often tho is lance #besties

allura

trans girl. she/her. realized not long before the events of the show

the post about trans allura that inspired this whole post here

was able to use her shapeshifting powers to her transvantage (trans advantage)

her being out for not long before the war is why she was so excited that pidge is a girl. she’s a girl making friends with other girls!!!!!! and that excitement doubles when learning that pidge is earth’s equivalent of trans yayyyyy

in my mind the notion of people fitting into gender roles on altea is the same vibe as the notion of women wearing skirts not pants irl. like that’s an outdated idea but not that outdated unfortunately :^/

i don’t think there was major misogyny or transphobia on altea tho. not sure if it makes sense to anyone else but it makes sense in my mind ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

coran

nonbinary. any pronouns

when allura came out she sat down with her parents and coran (honorary third parent) and talked about her feelings and thoughts on gender as a whole. coran went “oh. is that not how cis people think?”

he’s not a man or a woman but he’s not sure what he is exactly. he’s coran!

he’d make homemade hrt. may or may not have weird side effects

[uwu-co-in]

What majors 'Attack on Titan'characters would have in college AU (part 2):

Source: My Majors

Word count: 1.1k

(part one)

11. Sasha: Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management

• Sasha was first admitted to a college with the major Culinary Science, along with her boyfriend, Niccolo, but left the course after a month

• I want to eat food not study it was what she retorted to everyone, but in reality, she just felt she would not be contributing enough to the community

• As the major took out for a lot of field work, she signs up for all, and even joined internships from the first year itself, regarding the same

• A procrastinator; crams on the night of the exam, while Niccolo is cooking her assortment of dishes and gets super groggy on examination mornings :')

12. Connie: Graphic Design

• His mother was extremely proud of her son getting into the college; so much that she had told every other person passing on the streets how Connie will be a genius, in whatever tech stuff he is doing

• Opted for a college far away from home, because he wanted to experience life to the fullest by living alone, and learning to fend for himself

• Teaches basic computer science to two kids, and works as a freelancer digital artist, along with juggling his classes

• Loves his subject and puts effort behind it quite regularly, but call him for a party he'd be there with two extra beer bottles, ridiculously shimmery clothes and a party popper!

13. Jean: Architecture

• Look me in the eye and tell me that Jean doesn't look like a dreamy arch student, always carrying his sketchbook along with him and sitting down to draw the building or monument designs that seem to intrigue him

• Was in eighth grade, when Mikasa told him that the way he draws the buildings are very clean. Boom, and he wants to draw them for the rest of his life

• For some reason, his mother did not approve of his subject choice, until one day she found a few building designs doodled in placards sprawled over his desk and reconsidered her opinion

• Loves a good party once in a while, but really wants to work behind the subject so sometimes, calls a rain check

14. Erwin: Intelligence

• Ever since Erwin can remember, he wanted to be in the army, fighting for his motherland. That was what he had wanted all his life, and he had every quality to enlist himself for it until he sustained incurable injuries on his right arm trying to save an elderly couple from an accident

• Intelligence major was a piece of cake for Erwin, for he was a natural leader, acing all his classes with ease. He loves spending time in the library a lot, and his favourite book is rumoured to be 'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoevsky

• He is equally loved and lusted by the women in his university, but apart from occasional casual flings, he does not want to engage in a relationship because it 'fuddles his mind'

• His room is speck clean and he likes working out regularly and eating healthy (cooks his own food and is distrustful of the canteen meals)

15. Zeke: Law

• In school, Zeke was reprimanded a lot because according to his teachers, he was 'always quipped with a brash follow-up question, with no regards to authority'. In college, he encashed it by enrolling himself in a law major programme

• He is a big believer in practical knowledge and quickly networked to find internship opportunities to practice and observe lawyers alongside his regular studies

• With an absentee father, he worked two side jobs as a cashier at Starbucks and a private tutor

• He participated a lot in debate competitions and moot courts to enhance his critical thinking and analytical skills

16. Marco: Film Studies

• Always a sweet and dreamy guy, Marco chose film studies because he passionately believes films influence people a lot

• Ask him, and he will name the most obscure movies just to seem like a film student with a mysterious air, while in reality, his favourite movie is Mean Girls

• Likes people watching and tries to do all his college work sitting in a cafe, with 'coffee, coffee, coffee!'

• Has tried making short films, and although the themes and plots have been pretty good, he is yet to get real recognition for them

17. Porco: Aviation

• Ever the cocky guy, Porco took aviation because it made him feel like he was on top of the world

• Scored average in theory but was very skilled in practical knowledge

• His professors have often recommended he enlist for the air force, but he doesn't want to; he wants a low-key life without stress (staning a king who knows the importance of mental health!)

• Flirts A LOT with his fellow classmates, and 10/10 uses his charm to get his homework and assignments done

18. Pieck: Inorganic Chemistry

• Pieck's main goal in life is to see more women in STEM, and thus, her major

• Has excellent mathematical and statistical skills and uses them efficiently to excel

• Straight A student, has the special lucky glasses that she wears while taking her exams

• Very humble and soft-spoken, she is often forced to help others even when she doesn't really want to

19. Gabi: Marketing Research

• Gabi originally wanted to become a footballer and had once run away from home because she felt her parents did not approve of her career choice

• While football is still her passion, she has a newfound love for marketing

• Immense persuasive skills and great essays make her one of the toppers of her batch

• Feels stressed trying to juggle studies and football, but she loves both and can't live life with one without the other

20. Falco: Art History Criticism and Conservation

• Falco loved visiting art museums as a kid, and this love of his followed well into adulthood

• His favourite artist is Monet, and his core memory of college is their field trip to the Sistine Chapel

• Loves art, any art in any form, and appreciates every art he sees; is passionate about learning more and has inculcated the skill of finding beauty in everything

• His dorm room is filled with paintings from roadside artisans that he fell in love with, and on Sundays, he tries painting himself (and fails miserably, but is the happiest)

[oneatlatime]

Return to Omashu

Fire nation priorities. Yes, there's a war to win, but first! We must make our colonies aesthetically consistent. Couple of gates, some gold trim, and some spiky bits! Can't forget the gold spiky bits!

Fulfilling the beat up Sokka quota this episode is raw sewage.

That sewer trek must have been long. They went in during the day and it's night now.

I spoke too soon! The quota is in fact filled by tribbles.

"it's so awful I'm dying." I get the feeling that Sokka has been waiting years to use that line. I love how quickly everyone in the Gaang supports each others' spontaneous plans. It's a sign of a good team if you can ream off fake names without blinking and fake the plague without being asked. They all work so well together. Zuko could take some lessons from these guys on lying.

Well this episode's going to land differently post-Covid.

Looks like Zuko Jr.'s going to be in this episode. Bummer. Although tweedledee and tweedledum are intriguing. Who'd ever think to give a teenage girl villain a pair of eighty year old poetry twins? One of the great things so far about this show is how they consistently choose to go with the most out-there option and always make it work. In a show about defeating the firelord, they chose to kill the moon for the finale. And it worked. The plot point, not the killing.

So I'm thinking that orange and yellow must be an acknowledged fashion choice among the four nations outside of an airbending context, because of the number of times fire nation guards have looked right at Aang and not seen him. Also I think his tattoos must have selective invisibility.

It's a crying shame that Hot Topic doesn't exist in the Avatar universe, because this May girl just passed their employment interview with flying colours. I'm siding with what I'm guessing is her mom on this one. Just chill for a bit.

Ok maybe don't chill for a bit. Yeah my bad. This is not a good time to chill.

Reusing the same Naruto run shot literally two seconds later.

How many projectiles can you fit in one pair of sleeves? She's got a whole armoury up there.

Seriously I know she's bored and all but no teenage girl should have access to that many weapons. If I'd had access to an armoury when I was a teenager, people absolutely would have died.

So cute. I'll take 12 please.

Every sentence that Zuko Jr. is saying to this pink girl is some kind of veiled insult or threat. I'd adopt Pink Girl's wilful obliviousness too if I had to deal with that.

Smart Bumi. He knows his people and his element. We've seen more than enough times already that something about being an earthbender makes you too stubborn to quit and unable to change plans even when your original plan is obviously not working (looking at you, Fong). So, knowing that his people are unable to change course, he prevents them from entering on to that course in the first place.

And Aang picks up on this too! Actually, since Bumi knew Aang growing up, do you think he picked up the concept of strategic retreat from airbending?

Tribbles to the rescue! Given that these are sewer dwelling creatures, this fake plague might turn real.

I love how casual Sokka is about touching other people.

Every street in Omashu seems to have a couple of bundles of twigs propped up against a wall somewhere. It's probably an animation trick to fill up the background.

Love the one guy really committing to the bit who just flops on the ground.

"Pentapox! I'm pretty sure I've heard of that." Humans are so suggestible.

I love that Flopsy remembers him. Aang's propensity to make friends wherever he goes paying off again. Also, exactly how much metal to the fire nation have access to? They're doing the floor, walls, ceilings, of the whole city. There must be some crazy budget surpluses that need using up.

This baby has an absurd throwing arm.

Machine gun Momo!

This is what happens when you don't feed your lemur AANG.

I know cartoon physics is a thing, but can this baby secretly fly or something?

Poor Momo didn't ask for any of this. Guy just wanted some berries. Now he's getting his tail pulled and bitten (hopefully no teeth yet).

Add absurd grip strength to this baby's list of other superhuman characteristics.

Baby apparently weighs quite a bit too.

Flying lemur unintentionally kidnaps baby. Did not see that coming.

Tiny nitpick: the circus master introduces Zuko jr. as "the firelord's daughter" rather than as Princess Zuko jr. Does she not have a title?

Nope. He's calling her princess now. Maybe there are a bunch of princesses in the fire nation and he was just being specific?

Thus begins the bullying of pink girl. Imagine going to school with a bunch of fire nation noble girls? There must have been casualties.

I love Sokka so much. Expert hug administrator.

"everything so clever. So tricky." Actually the avatar forgot to feed his lemur and it kind of snowballed from there. Hands down one of my favourite tropes is when one side in a conflict assumes their enemies are master manipulators, then we learn that actually they're just failing upwards through shenanigans. Love that.

Poor pink girl. The only viable strategy, both for her own safety and the safety of the whole circus, is appeasement.

"The universe is giving me strong hints that it's time for a career change." No blame cast, no fingers pointed, but also not giving Zuko jr. credit for influencing her. That's some fancy talking.

And now they're reusing the campsite shot too?

Poor Momo. That's about the face I make around babies.

I spoke too soon again. This episode's beat up Sokka quota is actually fulfilled by Katara's backhand. Because apparently it's a cardinal sin to prevent a baby from chewing on a potentially bladed weapon? Priorities girl.

Well that accidental kidnapping had some unintended positive consequences. Don't you love it when problems fix themselves?

She even paints her nails black and wears fingerless gloves. Seriously. Hot Topic. STAT.

"Well, Asula called a little louder." Hell of a lot of information in that sentence.

How long is her neck?

Ego much?

Zhao was an asshole and unpleasant, but at least he had some good banter. Zuko jr. is just mean. I hope I see less of her going forward.

Bumi! Hi Bumi! I love Bumi.

Pink girl's loyalty was tested with burning nets and released beasts. Now May's loyalty is tested with her brother's life. Zuko jr. is so good to her friends.

Why is no one able to recognise Aang? He's dressed like an airbender. The only one of those left is the avatar. It's not that hard.

Pink girl is lucky that Sokka is quite prone to friction.

More wood bundles. I guess it's for scaffolding?

Gotta give it to Zuko jr., she has excellent balance.

May has leg knives as well as arm knives?

And shirt knives. How does she not stab herself every time she sits down? And if this place is so boring, why does she feel the need to carry 8 billion knives?

Love the Appa tail slap. Underrated and underused move.

So Bumi has no spine left.

Facebending. Neat.

Neutral Jing is a neat concept, but I'll be damned if any earthbender we've seen apart from Bumi ever bothers with it.

Suddenly the 100 year gap between Aang and Bumi can no longer be ignored. Bumi is still Aang's friend, but he's got a century of learning and a city to protect. This is kind of a sad moment.

Do May and Zuko have some history? Is that's what's being implied here?

Wouldn't expect any less. I wonder how these two are going to explain the return of their son without painting the resistance in a really good light.

Zuko jr. is spelled with a Z.

Final Thoughts

Zuko Jr. gets a girl squad, the Gaang gets a reason to spend a season gallivanting all over the Earth Kingdom, and the audience gets to see Superslide part 2. A weird mix of establishing groundwork and having fun this episode.

I totally buy that the fire nation guards and governor fell for the plague thing. Anyone remember "that lemur! He's earthbending!" These guys are not smart.

The plague thing did not bother me at all. I thought it would, since the anti-science idiots in the Fortuneteller really annoyed me. I think since the fake plague was treated as a joke the whole way through, and never actually endangered anyone, it didn't bring up Covid memories.

I think Flopsy's pupils are sideways hourglasses, which contributes nicely to his uncanniness.

I think the stuffy that the baby was throwing is the same animal as the beaver bear thing at the circus.

I love Momo the machine gun. I think those are the same berries as the ones Iroh was going to double poison himself with.

Sokka getting to plan the plague and getting to save the day with boomerang was fun. That's two episodes in a row where he's been the plan guy. Katara got to use some of her new and improved waterbending as well, but she was really pushed to the background otherwise.

I think pink Girl, whose name I still haven't caught, is quite good at reading people. I caught more than one 'shallow-on-the-surface-but-actually-way-deep' statement from her. Also she can Vulcan pinch people's bending? I'm guessing it's temporary or else Katara would be really freaking out.

May was just too much. Too overdone. Yes, there are teenage girls like that, but it felt a bit on the nose. Actually, way too much on the nose. I get that she can't show any emotion in front of Zuko jr. for her own safety, but "can I offer you an egg fireflakes in this trying time?" is not exactly an appropriate response to your little brother's disappearance.

I'm still not liking Zuko jr. But I'm someone who never likes the villain anyway, at least not when our heroes are this likeable.

This episode was not easy on Aang. It was an interesting mix of bringing home the reality of the war and the reality of the time passed. Even when he seemingly got to save his friend in the end, he actually didn't because things are more complicated now. He untied the damsel from the railroad track and she tied herself right back on.

Further evidence for my 'entire fire nation is colourblind' theory this episode. Aang was not disguised apart from a hat made from a very incriminating colour. He had a giant blue stripe down the back of his head! Come on!

No Zuko this episode. He was last seen stealing a perfectly nice lady's bird horse, and it'll be a while before I forgive him for that, so good call by the writers to not have him around.

Now that I think about it, there was a lot going on this episode. Sewer break & enter, assassination attempt, fake plague, hostage exchange, water v. knife fight, fire v. air fight, vulcan pinch v. bending fight, Boomerang & bison v. knife fight, earthbending philosophy, girl squad assembly, lemur harassment, and baby restoration. This episode felt long in a good way.

How about, instead of learning the elements, Aang learns pink girl's vulcan pinch and just does that to the fire lord?

[selenitesdawn]

Hi! Could I req a Max Mayfield x reader imagine? Where Max always has the high score at the arcade but one time she notices that someone has beat her and that becomes like a competition between them? They make this deal where every time Max beats reader she get's a clue on who reader is. At the end Max finds who reader is and they realize they like each other and get together? Thank you so much! - N

I love love love this request. I hope it’s okay that I split this in two parts. I just had a lot of ideas about this. And I wanted a happy Max, so… yes.

Arcade Rivals (pt.1)

pairing : max mayfield x reader

warnings : maybe a curse word now and then

summary : two very competitive arcade players get their game on.

third person pov

The thing about Hawkins was, that it had its own will. The people who lived there thought that it had its own mind, deciding whether it was in a good or in a bad mood from day to day. When Hawkins was in a bad mood, people went missing and the streets were filled with thick poisoned air. It demanded its victims, almost like they satisfied its hunger. But when Hawkins was in a good mood, the sun was shining, the land was sprouting and you could hear kids laughing from outside your window. Some days were hell, filled with tragedies that shattered the town’s foundation. Other days were filled with miracles, allowing people to hope for a better future.

A fresh breeze hit the redhead’s face as she stood on her skateboard and raced down the street. She felt her speed increase with every second, bending her knees a little to keep her balance. For a moment she actually had a feeling of freedom since the first time in a while. It was just her, her skateboard and the road. No monster chasing her. No stupid brother making her life more difficult than it already was. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sound her wheels made, racing over the concrete. Then a smile crept upon her lips, signaling that Max Mayfield had regained a sense of faith. Not only for the future, but herself.

As she arrived at the Palace Arcade, she got off her board and tucked it under her arm. The arcade was where Max spent most of her time. She was pretty damn good at these games and the people who worked there gave her all the credit for it.

“Hey Mad Max, how’s it going?”, an employee named Derek asked from behind the counter.

“All good, how about you?”, Max replied casually, walking past him.

“I’m good. Just uhm, you should check your score on Dig Dug!”, he shouted after her.

Max turned around and furrowed her eyebrows, not understanding what he meant by that. It almost sounded like a threat. Like someone might have…

“No way.”, she mumbled to herself as she approached the game.

After leaning her skateboard against the machine, she wasted no time checking the highscore. And to her surprise, MADMAX was now in the second place. After weeks of being the number one spot, somebody really managed to kick her off her well-earned throne. Although it was devastating in a way, it was an exciting feeling. Nobody was ever able to beat her at this game, which made it kind of boring to play after a while. But now there was somebody who obviously fought for that first place. Which meant the competition was on. One thing did bother Max though.

“SANEMAX? What a stupid name. That’s so lame.”, she mumbled annoyed.

The person who won against her obviously chose that name to provoke her, but Max wasted no time being offended and got her game right back on. It took her just 20 minutes to be back on the top spot, much to her own surprise. Although she was pretty amazing at Dig Dug, she never beat her own score this easily + another score above her. It seemed like her competitiveness allowed her to reach a new level of skilled, earning a victory again in a long time. She smiled to herself as she grabbed her skateboard, walking past the counter again.

“Already got that score back huh? I knew it. Sane Max got nothing on you.”, Derek applauded impressed.

Max was just about to walk past him and leave the arcade, when she suddenly got curious.

“Thanks Derek. Uhm, do you by any chance know who that person is? That beat my score?“, Max asked casually.

„Nope. No idea. It was that way when I came to work this morning.“, he replied.

Max started wondering who that mysterious person was. She never saw that nickname before. No one even tried to beat Max‘s score at Dig Dug for months now. It was kind of sketchy, now that she started thinking about it. She made her way back to the machine and started digging through her backpack. It was filled with all kinds of things. Spare Wheels for her skateboard in case something happens, disinfectant in case she gets a bruise, a few comics in case a lesson is too boring. After a while the redhead managed to grab a pen and a paper and started writing a note.

Dear sanemax, nice try. Do better next time. That was too easy. - MADMAX

She grinned as she put the note on the screen. In fact, Max didn’t have this much fun in a while. And there was no feeling like an easy victory. It just proved once again that Max was the glorious queen of Dig Dug.

That night she fell asleep without any nightmares for the first time in weeks. All she could think about before going to bed was if “SANEMAX” would get the message. If they would be able to beat her score again. If they are cool or..

‘Maybe they are just an asshole.’ , Max thought to herself.

But at the same time she didn’t care. She was excited for tomorrow, excited to go to the arcade and maybe even get a message back. Laying in bed, she put her headphones on and listened to her favorite song. Smiling to herself as she fell asleep.

The next day Max grabbed her skateboard as soon as she finished her breakfast, making her way to the arcade. She didn’t know whether the secret person plays at night or during the day. But if Derek didn’t see anyone play Dig Dug during his shift, sanemax must strike at night.

When she arrived she greeted the employees and made her way to the machine. A note was glued onto the side.

Hey MADMAX, nice try. You didn’t think I would give up that easily, did you? I didn’t even try beating your highscore the first time around, it kinda just happened. The game is ON. - better max

“This.. asshole.”, Max mumbled to herself. Her eyes squeezed together as she checked the new score. It wasn’t much more than the score she had reached yesterday. She took the note and stuffed it into her back pocket.

“Okay. The game is on.”, Max whispered determined.

This time around she got even more competitive. Her goal was to beat this score by far. Just to set a sign and make this pretentious person shake in fear. Max’s eyes were glued onto the screen as she moved the joystick at an incredible speed.

“YES!” Max put her fist up victoriously, jumping into the air. Her forehead was bathed in sweat as she plopped onto a chair that stood in the corner.

She had won. It took her 40 whole minutes but the score she had reached was unbeatable. There was no way anyone would come close to that. Not even SANEMAX. It was probably historic, now that she thought about it.

“That is truly a miracle.”, Derek said as he approached the Dig Dug machine. “How did you do that?”

Max just shrugged her shoulders and grinned, leaning back into the chair.

“I got competitive, I guess.”, she answered in a cool tone, making Derek grin.

Max grabbed her backpack and pulled out a pen and a paper, ready to write another message. But this time around she didn’t know what to write. Whoever this person was, they made her put up a top performance. They were the reason she was excited for something, for the first time in a while. She didn’t dread waking up this morning. She didn’t fall asleep thinking about all the bad things from the past. Maybe this person was brought to her for a reason, she thought.

“I wanna know who you are.”, she mumbled to herself, as she wrote down a message.

If you beat this score, I will accept my defeat. But if you don’t, you have to give me a clue about who the hell you are. Sounds good? - MADMAX

She put the message on the screen and grabbed her things.

“Bye Derek, see you tomorrow.”, Max commented as she walked past him.

She stepped onto her board and made her way home. The sun was shining and a cold breeze hit Max’s face. The feeling was refreshing, especially after Max sweat a lot inside the arcade. It was an ordinary Saturday and the day had just started. But for some reason today felt different to her. The last Saturdays were more about distracting herself. When there was no school, Max would just skate, go to the arcade, have her headphones on the entire time and hope for the day to end as quickly as possible.

‘What did this dumbass do to me?’, Max thought to herself. When she arrived at home, she searched her back pocket for the note and read through it again and again. She did this until she had memorized every single word and the handwriting.

This Saturday Max met up with Mike, Dustin and Lucas for the first time in weeks. She was always invited to the meetings, but she never attended. Either she felt too depressed, or she simply wanted to be alone. But for some reason she didn’t want to be alone this evening. And it turned out to be a good decision. The night was filled with laughter and happiness. Max almost forgot how amazing it felt to have your friends around. This mysterious person from the arcade somehow managed to give Max a lot of her energy back. She was happy.

Sunday morning went just like the morning before. Max ate breakfast, grabbed her skateboard and made her way to the arcade. As she arrived smiling from ear to ear, she went straight to the machine. But to her disappointment, she didn’t find a note this time.

“What?”, she mumbled to herself as she searched the entire machine.

Her score was still on top, no one had beaten her. ‘Maybe SANEMAX just didn’t go to the arcade yesterday.’, she thought to herself. Her smile faded slowly. For some reason it didn’t feel good to see her score untouched. She at least wanted to see Sane Max try. And hopefully fail.

Just as she was about to make her way to another machine, an employee walked up to her.

“Hey, Mad Max?”, the employee asked.

“Yes?”, Max asked confused, furrowing her eyebrows at the person.

“Uhm, Sane Max told me to give this to you.”, they said as they gave Max a note.

Max looked at the note and rolled her eyes.

“Oh my god.”, she groaned as she threw her head back.

You have won, my master. This fight is over. So here are multiple clues, because I’m nice : I know who you are. You walk past me in school without looking at me, like every time. So my looks won’t help you much. But let me say this: My real name isn’t really Max. Surprise. Pac Man next ? - (not really) Sane Max

‘What an idiot’, she thought to herself.

After the employee left, she couldn’t help but grin. This person really loved teasing her. But of course she wouldn’t ditch that invitation. She would destroy them at Pac Man and get the next clue.

Max checked the score on Pac Man and saw SANEMAX was at the number one spot. Determined she grabbed the joystick and focused all of her attention on the game.

“The game is on.”

[katnissmellarkkk]

What do you think everlark would call each other post war? Like in terms of terms of endearment 😆

I’m a nickname-er so. Uh. I probably headcanon it more than most. The only other person who seems to share this trait with me is my lovely @jenniferiawrence 🩵

But yeah. I’ve answered this before but my lists can kind of get extensive. I don’t just casually chose the pet names, they tend to need some basis in canon to me. Most of the time.

Peeta calls Katniss sweetheart in book one to bug her. Because of Haymitch I sometimes get iffy on if Peeta would ever call her this post canon but I’ve decided yes, he would, because it’s the only canon pet name he ever used towards her so… apparently it rolls off his tongue? 😭 Because he barely knew her. And it’s not like Haymitch has a claim on it lololol.

Other than that, I resort to southern sounding nicknames since they’re southern-ish. Appalachian which idk if that’s technically southern but I’m not splitting hairs over it. Baby is literally the most common pet name in the world, it’s one of the only ones used (towards a child and a cat) in the book canon and it’s very southern, so I use that one a lot. Just know it’s meant to be said in a southern accent though. Darling I used to dislike so much but in a teasing or sarcastic context and in a southern accent it works for me. My love works really well sarcastically imo as well as in a rare tender moment. Esp after nightmares or sex. I have a weird, newish headcanon of Peeta calling Katniss honeybee sometimes. Or bird. Just like, bird. Sweet girl grew on me a while back and so I love that one on a rare occasion and when used sparingly (technically all these names should be used sparingly or else it’s just too much).

On the flip side, Katniss would probably also use the same ones for him that he uses for her but I feel like she would not use them as much for some reason. Peeta feels more like the one who’d use the terms of endearment.

Names I really can’t see for some reason are like sweetie or honey or babe or the like. I have nothing against them but I can’t imagine them for whatever reason. Oh and calling each other by their last names? For whatever reason I’m like “???” on that being cute or romantic or whatever.

[pyropsychiccollector]

This next analysis... Well, I already did one Apphia Yu-voiced character. Might as well segway into another one of her roles, yeah? The nice thing is that this next one, she isn't a criminal, but she is an assassin~... well, an assassin-in-training.

... And a pervert. Poor Nagisa. ... Or Lucky Boy Nagisa, maybe? :3

NagiRio

So, to trim this analysis a bit in the "early" parts of the series, let's just put it this way. Rio-chan didn't become a "major" member of E-Class until about halfway through Season 1 of the anime. In the first several episodes, she was more comic relief than a girl who played any pivotal role. I think the first time we saw her on-screen for prolonged periods was during the Kyoto trip, when she first tried to peep in on Koro-sensei in the bath, and then later that night with the girls gossiping about boys and listening to Bitch-sensei tell stories of her past. Still, I suppose the "peeping" is a good way to segway into this "plot summary" portion of the analysis... because it's the first time, on-screen, that Nagisa and Rio interact, especially outside of class.

I'll try to be nice, but.... Rio-chan is honestly a shameless teenage girl. XDDD She's a good example that it's not just guys who get ecchi and dirty-minded. Sure, we learn more later why Rio-chan acts out and focuses on having a good time, but she reeeally gets into it... (๑╹ω╹๑ ) She pretends she's just scoping out their target's weaknesses, but let's be real~... She wanted to see what was under those soap suds. (๑╹ω╹๑ )(๑╹ω╹๑ )(๑╹ω╹๑ )

Still, this is a good entry level into Rio as a character. She's laidback, fun-loving, speaks her mind... And Nagisa goes with the flow better with her than some of their classmates (like Okajima, who felt she was butting in on his Pervert livelihood); the start of their friendship isn't shown, but I suppose you can say that sitting to Nagisa's right in class gave her opportunities to interact or observe him. And since we don't know the particulars of how they started out as friends, there's even room to say that Rio chose to sit next to him, or vice versa. During the girls' gossip scene, she doesn't name Nagisa as one of the boys she'd be interested in; she names Isogai and Maehara as possible candidates, but leans more toward Isogai. Now, you can take this casual gossip in one of two ways; either she's being honest like always, or she's hiding her real fledgling crushes. Given the nature of the scene, I'm inclined to believe Rio is being honest in her assessments here - Nagisa's not on her radar yet in terms of romance, and that's fine! You don't have to leap straight to the romance . If she and Nagisa are just pals for now, that's a good start.

After Kyoto, Ritsu joins the class. Then Lovro tests Irina. Then Shiro brings in Itona. Then the baseball/basketball matches... Finally, we reach Takaoka's debut. If you want my shot in the dark at when Rio started to look at Nagisa more, it's at about this time. Why would that be...? Well...

This is the first time since the failed "suicide assassination" that Nagisa has stood out amongst his class. Ever since that time, he was observing or helping on the sidelines as other classmates and assassins took their shots. He helped organize the girls' rescue in Kyoto, but Rio wasn't there for that, and Koro-sensei dished out most of the throttling. Takaoka was out of control, and Karasuma needed a champion for Takaoka to ("willingly") back down. Still, Karasuma sure knows how to pick 'em; his instincts were telling him that Nagisa was harboring an innate talent for assassination, and he was dead-on. Nagisa himself respected Karasuma for always looking him in the eye, something his own family wouldn't do, and he wanted to make Karasuma proud and help his class overthrow a tyrant. Nagisa let his own instincts take control, and impressed everyone with how nonchalantly he beat Takaoka at his own game, without seriously injuring the man. I think this public display would put Nagisa on lots of radars, and it did. Koro-sensei already had an inkling, and now Karasuma and everyone else knew Nagisa was a natural.

Rio-chan was towards the center of the crowd congratulating Nagisa. It's a bit on-the-nose for a hint, but she even puts herself between Nagisa and Kaede... which I thought was kinda cute. XDDD Maybe part of it was subconscious, but still. A later line Rio-chan gives makes me think otherwise. Again, it doesn't have to be love, or even a crush yet - for now, Nagisa's a friend, and she's proud he had a moment in the sun here.

Shiro and Itona make another attempt... And then the First Term Finals are upon them, and Koro-sensei motivates his kids with promises of tentacles, if they do better than A-Class. Isogai makes an open invitation to join him to study in the library, which E-Class normally doesn't get the chance to. Sure, anyone could've come along, but I thought this was a cool follow-up to the Takaoka debacle. Whether it's as a crush or still just as a friend, Rio is seeing Nagisa now. She enjoys hanging around him, and Kaede, Yukiko, Isogai, Okuda... But I emphasize Nagisa, because...

Honestly, as a rareshipper, you learn to take every moment you're given. XDDD This moment before the exams is cool, because Rio and Nagisa have some one-on-one, even if it's just for a pep talk... and then these jerks poke their heads out and give Nagisa the bird, like usual. .... Rio-chan isn't having that. (人◕ω◕) You can call it divine punishment~ (人◕ω◕) And she just keeps walking~...

Ah. And one other thing: Nagisa and Rio excel in English. Whether intentional or coincidental, it's neat to find similarities between these characters. Poor Nagisa misses the perfect score that Rio nabs, but at least he got 91 (more or less an A). He and Yukiko (Japanese) are among the scores that Koro-sensei announces, even if those two didn't get highest in the grade.

Then Okinawa happens~... Don't think I've missed the fact Rio-chan has invited herself onto the Kyoto group's team. (人◕ω◕) It's honestly cool how subtle she is about it. Sure, it'd be nice to see their team welcome her into the group, but.... I'll take what I can get. Maybe she was just on this squad because she can swim, but since there's no context.... well..... they didn't say it'd be a one-off deal. (人◕ω◕)

Later, after the failed group assassination, I found it a little endearing that Rio-chan wanted to try leaning on Nagisa when she wasn't feeling well because of the disease Smog infected them with. Again, no context for why she was near Nagisa... but she was. And Nagisa (and Kaede) were worried over Rio-chan as several others came down sick, too. This does, unfortunately, incapacitate Rio-chan for the Okinawa trip, but Nagisa plays a key part in defeating Takaoka again (and in an even more badass way), which allows Smog to freely confess no one's gonna die. Everyone can breathe easy~ :3

Season 2, though... Rio-chan takes a backseat again, for a while. She's there with everybody else, living the life or tackling the challenges with everyone else... She helped the class attempt to hook up Bitch-sensei and Karasuma. Was there for the summer festival. Supported Kaede's Pudding Popper plot. Helped the class save Itona and recruit him to the class formally. Helped with the sports festival, though the guys' Pole-Toppling was the main competition focused on.

Ah. One point of interest was in the daycare episode - Rio-chan was helping tutor the students, like Nagisa. It's not much, but considering some of the other E-Class members were engaging in more "fun" activities, it's a little sweet that Rio was tutoring the kids like hubby. :3

The Reaper makes his debut, tries taking out Koro-sensei by putting his students on the line...

Then comes another Nagisa-centric episode. Rio-chan doesn't make much of a showing this episode, but in the next one with the Fall Festival...

*coughs* It's not all heart-felt. (人◕ω◕);;;;;;;;; However, her talk with Nagisa just before Yuji shows up is serious and endearing. She really didn't mean to bully Nagisa or hurt him, she was just trying to have fun. ... And, well, she has fun at his expense again moments later, when Yuji comes trotting in, horny for "Nagisa-chan" as ever. (人◕ω◕);;;;;; Something to note, however. Rio-chan used her skirt to crossdress Nagisa. You can make a case, "why would she have a spare skirt on hand?" ... anime shenanigans? (人◕ω◕) Regardless, it doesn't go that way. She slides her skirt on him, and takes his pants. Don't get me wrong: This is a pretty rough moment for Rio-chan, 'cause Nagisa obviously doesn't want to do this.... I won't pretend it's all alright. At the same time, humor's infused in my blood, so while I do think Nagisa shouldn't be tortured like this, I realize it's a...gag. I grew up on cartoons that were a mesh of seriousness and silly, so I could appreciate AC's goofiness here. What's nice about this is that it's the last time crossdressing comes up save for one flashback pic, and then the girl jokes are done for Nagisa. ... So Rio giving her skirt, well... that's very avant garde for "just a friend". Moreover, she stripped them both downstairs for this.... brief clothes swap.... (人◕ω◕) Again. As a rareshipper, I seize every moment I can get. .... Rio-chan has at least an idea of what Nagisa's packing. Not even Kaede has this information. ... Yet. (人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)

To give a deeper look into this crossdressing scene, however, I will say this: Rio was sincere when she apologized to Nagisa, after she heard about his mom, what a control freak and how terrible she was. Rio knows she's been pretty sadistic with the girl jokes - well, her and Karma - and she cares enough about Nagisa by now that she doesn't wanna pick on him to that extent anymore. Some of you may argue, "But she turns around and does it again not even a minute later!" And well.... it's true. Rio does go too far again, taking advantage of Yuji's crush on "Nagisa-chan" to make them money for the fall festival... Here's the thing, though: Nagisa's within his rights to refuse Rio here, to just clear up Yuji's confusion right off the bat and be angry at Rio... But he doesn't. Part of it could be he knows they need the customers and the money for the restaurant, but Nagisa puts up with Rio's games regardless. ... Well, to an extent. Refuses to get pervy ("Show him the goods!"), and eventually he does just tell Yuji that he's a guy... And Rio does respect that. Once Nagisa gives his speech, Rio doesn't embarrass Nagisa in front of Yuji anymore.

... Karma still wants to mess around, and Rio hops all over the chance because she can't help herself... But after the festival, we don't see crossdressing come up again (except for one instance from Karma a few episodes later, but Rio doesn't add onto that). That's another way we know that Rio's sincere about cutting back on that kind of teasing. She does have one last moment of weakness there, but she respects his feelings from then on. Rio could've been like Karma and kept the jokes up... but she matures.

After the festival, Rio fades into the background again. She's there for the Second Term Finals. Places in the Top 5 (Nagisa's #14). She's there when Principal Asano makes his attempt on Koro-sensei. She's there for the Drama Festival. And... she's there when Kaede reveals her true identity as Akari Yukimura, and reveals her tentacles. I'll keep bringing this up, but this habit of Rio's to have a presence in the lighthearted times, and then fade into the background when generally more serious times arise... It fits the assassin motif of the series.

Take this scene for example. Kaede's going mad because of the tentacles, and Rio's one of the people protectively holding Nagisa back. Not Karma, not Isogai... Rio. This is a pretty telling moment that Nagisa's important to Rio; she knows this is a hard time for the bluenet because he wants nothing more than to save Kaede... But she doesn't want Nagisa going in there without a plan, because he'll get hurt. Rio's not overprotective, she doesn't sit on Nagisa or think Kaede's beyond saving... She just wants him to be careful.

And then Nagisa has that moment of revelation, and he kisses Kaede to take her mind off assassination. Rio and Karma are their usual teasing selves, but it is heartwarming that Rio snaps a picture of the guy she's fond of kissing another girl... Again, she supports Nagisa, and wants him happy. ... Even if Rio is greedy and wants her man~

After the fires are put out, tentacles extracted, Rio and Karma don't waste a moment to tease Nagisa impishly... But this moment is particularly endearing, because Nagisa doesn't get flustered like this unless people are poking fun at his height or his girlish looks.... No, this time, Nagisa kissed a girl... even if it was to save her life... And it's so outside of his normal routine, for "Karasuma Jr." to get intimate like that... Of course everybody's gonna congratulate him for that. ... Even if Karma and Rio just want to fill in the void left behind by crossdressing. I wish Nagisa had more moments like this... But he is a guy that keeps his eyes straight on the target. It's just great Rio supports Nagisa in his "love life", regardless of her plans to sweep him off his feet later....

Before we get to that fluffy revelation, however... I want to touch on this moment, which happens a couple of episodes later. We've seen the foundations of Rio's "serious side". During the Nagisa-centric episode, with the career counseling sessions, Rio reveals that she has a reason for being as laidback and fun-loving as she is. She used to be a child genius, and she longed for friendships and having a good time; she didn't care how good she was with school stuff. So she put up a facade of being dumb, goofing off... and before long, it was no longer an act. But E-Class, Koro-sensei, they helped her retrieve some of what she lost. That's why she values the bond she has with the Assassination Classroom... and why she's the one that speaks out when Nagisa suggests changing what their class is about. She disagrees with Nagisa on something, and I find this a super interesting development. ... Because friends can disagree on stuff. Even when they're your crushes... you don't have to see eye-to-eye on everything. I also see this as Rio looking out for Nagisa, because he's caught up in the moment, feeling like everyone's onboard with shifting gears. Rio doesn't like bringing down the mood, butting heads with Nagisa... but this class is important to her, and she doesn't want to chicken out just because they heard about Koro-sensei's past. She knows that there's others who feel the assassination is a crucial part of their bond, and in a way, she's breaking it to Nagisa gently. Tries turning it into a discussion, instead of an immediate decision that affects everyone. ... As opposed to Karma, who takes it personally and turns it into a fight. At least Koro-sensei is open to either possibility, provided the class stays united. The class really needs that unity.

Rio plays the war smart, keeping out of the fights until the end of the war, where she can swoop in and steal the Blue Team's flag... Thing is, Nagisa was playing the game just as wisely. He outplayed Rio, outplayed Karma, and I just really loved how it was Nagisa who took Rio down... 'cause it deepened their friendship a bit. Nagisa didn't make it personal, didn't look back after tagging Rio, Terasaka, Muramatsu, and Yoshida. His eyes were forward as always. But Rio...? Well. She had no choice but to concede defeat. She even admired Nagisa for outwitting Red Team. This was yet another moment where she was truly looking at Nagisa, understanding that even if saving Koro-sensei isn't something she bought into, Nagisa was fighting for his position with all that he had. Is it so wrong to admire someone that's as serious as you? People may wonder where the heck Rio's infatuation comes from (I'll touch on that soon enough) when she legit says that one line to admit her feelings... And I'm telling ya, you gotta go back and keep an eye out. Rio's just as sneaky as Kaede with her feelings, if not sneakier. This moment is just one obvious case where her respect for Nagisa is on full display; it gets more fleshed out as Nagisa properly wins the war.

Nagisa doesn't take the easy way out and snipe Karma. He understands that for Red Team to see where he's coming from, he has to fight on Karma's terms, even if Nagisa's at a disadvantage... Nagisa turns it around after losing for much of that final fight, but Karma has the opportunity to stab him in the back. Karma decides not to, and it boils down to the same reasons: Honor. Nagisa accepted his challenge, was even trying to finish the match with a physical combat move as opposed to a knife... Karma had no way out except for that "cheap" (but very lucky) move with the knife. He concedes the match since Nagisa once said he doesn't fight, unless it's a matter of life and death... So Karma recognizes this is important to his friend, and sees no benefit in stealing the victory besides to spite Nagisa and Blue Team; he's willing to hear Nagisa out. It seems strange to give Rio a similar moment, but she helped start all this...fighting. Rio conceding to Nagisa is just as meaningful, and shows she's not singularly determined about their original class goal. Nagisa's proven himself time and again throughout the Assassination Classroom, so Rio being happy in defeat... can mean that on some level, she was secretly hoping things would turn out this way. Rio's not about winning arguments no matter what; she'll give it her all, but when the opponent works just as hard... She's flexible and open-minded.

... Plus, she's got a soft spot for Nagisa, so...

The trip to space happens, they find out Koro-sensei more or less saved himself way back with that concoction he had Okuda whip up... The danger's not completely removed, but it's severely cut down to size. It's awesome that Nagisa concedes to let the class keep trying to assassinate Koro-sensei until the deadline, because it shows that he's listening to his classmates and respecting their feelings. Red Team helped with the space mission, it's only fair he returns the courtesy. If they still fail to kill Koro-sensei by the deadline, they'll settle for a more traditional student-teacher dynamic. The ending to this arc illustrates Nagisa, Kaede, Karma, and Rio's growth spectacularly. Really, the whole class's growth... But those four have been at the forefront of the class in some capacity for a while.

... Let's wrap up the "plot summary" section, eh? Valentine's Day~... This is where it comes into focus for Kaede...and Rio. I'll keep the talk of Kaede relatively short, but basically Rio is being a wingwoman like Karma. She sees the girl that Nagisa risked his life for is harboring feelings for the little studmuffin, and Rio-chan... feels like playing Santa. (人◕ω◕);;;;;;;

Y-Yes, Santa... (人◕ω◕);;;;;;;;;;;

*ahem* It may seem strange that Rio is encouraging a rival like this, but I suppose a combination of Rio's nature to hang back and wait for her opportunity, in conjunction with the civil war stoking some competitive flames within her... Let's just say, Rio's approach makes some crazy kind of sense. (人◕ω◕);;; It's not that she wants Kaede to mess up. No, no. Rio's been observing Nagisa-kun for a while, and she knows he and Kaede are thick as thieves. Rio is genuinely giving Kaede an opportunity here to win Nagisa over... But like in the civil war, Rio's not gonna pull her punches, either. Nagisa's a great guy. Kind, compassionate, serious.... Rio and Kaede are serious girls, too. It makes too much sense they'd fall for the same guy. A serious guy deserves a serious, fair competition. (人◕ω◕)

Kaede learns to just say what she has to say in her own words, and Rio and Karma spy on her to the very end. As Kaede decides to bury her feelings for now so that she doesn't distract Nagisa, who's admirable for always looking forward, Rio concedes it'd be petty to try stealing Nagisa from a girl so noble... It's one of the most fascinating "love triangles" that I've seen to date. Japan and its people tend to have this habit of being subdued with romance, and it plays into this show of assassins so well. Nagisa's not trying to win anyone over, he's so straightforward, honest, caring... and yet Kaede and Rio like him. A lot. For both of them to keep mum about their feelings... man, it hurts, but I get it. It's a Japanese staple to do it this way. No girl ends up with the guy in this case, but by the same token there's no proof that something won't work out down the line...

So where does this leave us? Why do I subject myself to a ship where Nagisa blissfully trudges on, unaware he's wooed at least two girls in his wake? A ship where the girl gives up the chase when she feels a rival is much more deserving?

I'm intrigued by the potential these two have. Just like Kaede, just like Nagisa, Rio is an assassin at heart. It's so fascinating these three sit together, yet Rio takes a backseat so often. If I had to make a distinction between NagiKae and NagiRio, it's that Kaede definitely fell for Nagisa a lot faster (subconsciously, anyway) than Rio. Rio.... I suppose she "knew" Nagisa for longer than Kaede did, even if it was just a couple weeks. Nagisa seldom stood out, kept his head low... and while it could be fun teasing Nagisa, she wasn't given enough incentive to truly notice him until his assassination skills came to light. Not that Rio was "always" an assassin; honestly, none of these kids were like that from the beginning. They had to be groomed into it. But as pointed out, Rio was in this haze of goofing off for a while. The reward money was awfully tempting, but Rio didn't know how to get back into the swing of things in terms of getting serious again right off the bat.

I suppose reflecting on it, Nagisa got her hyped up. The first part of the year, the classroom was thick with fun, goofiness, forced bloodlust, and mystery. Rio didn't know what to say when Nagisa did that suicide assassination, wasn't involved with Sugino's assassination attempt or the group with Isogai... Karma came in as a badass, and then Koro-sensei put him in his place. Rinse and repeat for Bitch-sensei. The school assembly was the same ol', same ol', as was the First Term midterms... Kyoto was fun from Rio's perspective; she wasn't with Nagisa's group for that episode with the kidnapping. Ritsu came in, Lovro came in, Shiro and Itona... The baseball/basketball matches... If you compare Nagisa kicking Takaoka's ass to those earlier events, only the stuff with Shiro and Itona really stacked up for Rio, and she didn't know those guys. ... But she kinda knew Nagisa, and witnessing him strut his assassination stuff... It had to at least get Rio thinking about her own performance.

That's probably another reason she threw herself into the First Term Finals - she wanted to turn herself around, and hanging around Nagisa was the way to go. It wasn't love at first sight, Rio simply admired Nagisa as a fellow professional and friend. Then she kinda missed out on Okinawa, and Nagisa was a badass without her there to see it... and Rio tries finding herself in the Second Term. She observes Nagisa more, grows to like him more... The civil war only deepens their bond, at least on Rio's end of it. By Valentine's Day, we know for sure Rio has feelings for Nagisa. First Term can be likened to RIo's "practice run"; she's learning the ropes like everyone else, and Nagisa's got a leg up on her. Second Term, Rio catches up to Nagisa. She scores higher on the Finals, but Nagisa's still the better assassin, much to Rio's chagrin. One thing I'm unsure of is if Rio's content with where her friendship is at with Nagisa, by Valentine's Day... That may be another reason she hung back. 'Cause for all that she tried being serious and imitating Nagisa, when interacting with the boy she was more often than not teasing him or goofing off. She didn't have many deep, personal moments that we saw with Nagisa.

Still. For all Rio's caution and care, I think it's unmistakable Nagisa cared for Rio. Maybe not romantically, but it's like Rio said: His self-esteem's not exactly the highest. He wouldn't dare assume girls like him in that way... And moreover, he's a driven, goal-oriented guy. But even so, Nagisa cares to stand up for her and the rest of E-Class against Takaoka (twice), he probably studied alongside Rio for English, and he puts up with the teasing she and Karma put him through (even if he hates crossdressing). I'm pretty sure with a little more courage, if Rio got more serious with their friendship, keeping the goofing around but spacing it out, she would be in a better position for a relationship with Nagisa, eventually. They do have a strong foundation as friends, but seeing more of that bond would definitely help.

Rio and Nagisa are both pretty serious people, it's just that Nagisa's circumstances make him less confident. He gets better, but having Rio for a girlfriend would boost that up even more. 'Cause she wouldn't let Nagisa stay forever meek. Moreover, Rio's habit of playfulness? Nagisa needs that. He needs the hell out of that. XD It's fantastic he wants to be a teacher, and he obviously inherits Koro-sensei's spirit at the end of the series, but even Koro-sensei had someone he loved. Having a life outside the classroom will keep Nagisa refreshed and perceptive to his students' individual needs. Rio could help him reach the more rambunctious kids more easily, and she'd keep Nagisa on his toes. Nagisa would give Rio a reason to return to Japan from her job as an interpreter/diplomat, and even a prospect of becoming an English teacher like Bitch-sensei.... Alternatively, Rio's trips abroad might inspire Nagisa to go out into the world and teach Japanese for a few years. There's possibilities here. Rio keeps things fun, and Nagisa keeps them grounded and...peaceful. It's a bit telling that in the final episode of the series, neither Nagisa or Rio make it to the reunion at the old building; they, Karma, and a few others are throwing themselves into their jobs. They'd provide solace to each other from work, and they'd come running for each other in a heartbeat.... XD I get the feeling Rio would also feel guilty about all the girl jokes from before, and let Nagisa get "revenge" a little... Or she wouldn't comment on it, and just spoil him for her past behavior.

One other detail is that Rio would absolutely draw the intimacy out of Nagisa. Nooo question. (人◕ω◕) He would not remain the chaste hero type. No sir. (人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕)(人◕ω◕) Nagisa might even be able to calm Rio down a bit... Wild, ecchi girl. Gotta love these two~...

[hellcatinnc]

Radiant Tale Fanfare - Liyan Review

Spoilers & Translations Ahead...

First off I do not know japanese I relied on google translate. I know they aren't perfect and you might names misspelled or placed as she instead of he but I feel confident enough that I was able to make out what its saying. I chose to buy this from the Japanese store knowing it wasn't in English but ever since I played Radiant Tale which I will shortly have that review up just got to finish Vilio. The point being I fell in love with Liyan then and I just couldn't wait for however long it was going to take for it to get localized, I needed to know how this man was and if him stealing my heart was going to be worth it. I have done this in the past and certain love interests I will do it again for. Make sure if you want more screen shots and stuff to check out my husbando challenge post since he was in it and you can find that here. Anyways on with the review.

If you get a chance to read his story even if you have to badly translate it you are going to want to if you have ever liked him and thought he should be a love interest. By far he is one of my favorite love interests from his personality to his looks right on down to the story and his love all have me wrapped up leaving my heart beating a little faster for Liyan. This is a man I will have to write some fan fic about just wow. Also you get introduced to his brother to who ends up being the bad guy trying to keep you apart for awhile but trust me he is a relatable character still and I like his brother however I found that if you try to look his brother up good luck finding any information about him. I have some places saying his name is Rist others say Lizz or in translator it says List so I can't say I actually know his name but think it stinks that he is barely even written in online when he is a big part of Liyan's route. Also if you look at the pictures of him in this post you will find he is pretty damn hot too.

So Liyan has to convince his brother why all humans like Tafalia are not bad for them as Fenrir's. You can tell he loves his brother and I love that side of Liyan as well as you find that his love for Tafalia is so real he would even fight his brother to the death if need be to keep her safe. The only reason his brother is bitter about humans is because he fell in love with a human and was in love but then when she found out he was a Fenrir she left him broken hearted says she was scared of him. So the story behind Fenrir's reminds me of Twilight movies where Jacob tells Bella about how imprinting works and then he falls for Bella's daughter in Breaking Dawn. Their story is similar he meets Tafalia at a young age and realizes in that moment he is in love with her so for years to come he watches over her from afar but never stopped loving her. The Fenrir belief is once you fall in love that is it there is no severing that tie except in death. If your person dies then you die and if the leave you broken hearted in most cases leads to death or suicide without that person. This is all of what his brother was trying to save him from, but honestly was too late Liyan had been in love with her way too long.

At one point Tafalia over hears Liyan talkin to a child and thought he had a kid, it was so cute because when she approaches him about it he gets all shy and bashful. Explain he has no kids because he is practically a virgin being pure and innocent. Hard to believe at first since he is so flirty until you realize later he flirts with no one else but her. He says he believes in loving one person forever and does not waver in that thought or process once. Tafalia notices in time when he is around other women that they flirt and try to get him to go with them and he is nice and has his charismatic personality that brings people back over and over again to his bar. However he makes it clear he looks for no casual hookups and at that point I think is when Tafalia realized all his flirtiness and all has only be towards her all this time she thought he was a ladies man.

I think this is where you see her soften up to him and not shut him down all the time. Its sad in away though because he really doesn't know what to do when she starts being nice because he is so used to her pushing him away. He lost his parents when his mom died of illness and his dad died being without his soulmate. His brother left him for his love and left Liyan caring for himself and others like him. He really has never truly been shown love so even Tafalia is just the same she hasn't always been the nicest to him. This breaks my heart when Liyan the most pure of them all (well outside of Paschalia) is pushed aside as just a ladies man to most. He keeps his flirtiness here and there to show her his attention he even goes out of his way to give her a gift that he made for her. At one point she falls asleep in his bar and he just watches her sleep wanting to touch her, wanting to kiss her. Classic Liyan and yet no matter how close he gets he just can't do it. He talks about him being the big bad wolf yet says she is so defenseless he just can't do it then goes on to make her a bed there instead. Of course she ends up leaving that night flustered and can't think but knows she needs to get away from Liyan at that point. I love though in the end it shows he is a gentleman yes he wanted to kiss her but he never gave into that selfishness because he never wanted to hurt her.

His brother brings out the protectiveness in him though when he firsts approaches Tafalia and Liyan is there to get in his path. At that point you realize Liyan doesn't just love her but he would do anything to protect her. I think even she sees this in how he reacts and if there is any doubt I think in her mind at that point he lets her know other wise. Once he takes care of his brother or thinks he has and he leaves them alone. Liyan goes into telling Tafalia he has been in love with her since he first met her. Tells her why and how it came to be but then tells her she doesn't have to say anything and never has to tell him how she feels. This leaves he stunned because when you confess to someone you usually want to know its reciprocated. So she ends up going to Paschalia and Radie I was so happy when I saw Paschalia and how he tried to help her with love advice. Oh man that man has a special place in my heart to because until Liyan he was my number one. Radie is an ass like usual never been a huge fan of him and his story used Liyan anyways and that made me mad. You saw then that Liyan could have been good for Tafalia but Radie wouldn't allow it. In this story he goes on to be the same ass even at one point practically telling her he hopes it doesn't work out with Liyan. Wow what a selfish thing to say, even Liyan wasn't like that in his route back in the first Radiant Tale.

Anyways Tafalia gets kidnapped by Liyan's brother and Vilio and Ion are ready to go in to fight with Liyan however I think Liyan knows if anyone else comes in they will probably kill his brother. That being said yes he will do anything for Tafalia but Liyan and his kind heart you can tell he wanted to handle this without the violence or losing his brother if he could. I love Vilio he made it clear he trusted Liyan however he would roast him if something happened to Tafalia due to it. Was funny but you understood his mind set. You get a full sight scene where Liyan and his brother in beautiful wolf form fight it out. Liyan trying to protect Tafalia and his brother trying to prove to him humans aren't worth it that they will only hurt him. At one point he really tries to harm Tafalia and Liyan sees red the moment she bleeds even a ounce of blood. He turns to his brother and announces him his enemy for hurting her. They fight some more and honestly at one point I'm not sure that Liyan was strong enough to take him on but then I realize he just didn't want to hurt him badly. Once he sees red though he goes all out and almost kills him before stopping. He is bleeding and exhausted but doesn't want anyone to die especially the 2 most important people in his life. His brother ends up leaving them to how they feel telling Liyan he just wanted better for him and you have to respect him. They break on good terms.

Tafalia runs to his side and she confesses that after it all she realized in all this she had fallen in love with him. My poor baby Liyan is so used to being pushed aside and not loved that he came up with the idea there is no way she could love him and that she was just being nice. Of course she has to kiss him for him to understand she isn't playing around with his emotions. He admits the reason he told her he didn't want to know how she felt when he confessed his love was because if he didn't know he could live on beside her loving her from afar and being happy. However if she told him she didn't feel anything for him it would hurt him so bad and possibly kill him of a broken heart. That was so humble and sweet and who wants the person they love to be happy and yet not with them but is content with just being in her life. I know in real life you get people that would but most love interests I have seen usually are more selfish than Liyan.

When he realizes she really does love him he can't help but to keep kissing her telling her he is the happiest he has ever been. He is that puppy wagging his tail as she pets him. He may be a big bad wolf when he needs to be but with her he is her puppy and would do anything she asks of him. That being said don't misunderstand me he is not submissive he just wants her happiness above anything even his own needs. They go back to normal life as her being his girlfriend and it was just so sweet how they decided to be partners but whats next is funnier. So his brother starts coming around and understands Tafalia is no threat even throws small flirts at her in front of Liyan and oh no Liyan jumped in front of her and made it clear to his brother she was all his. His jealousy showed but it was adorable. However he told his brother where to find his soulmate and that she had not ever forgot about him. He rushed off to try to make something with her and of course you never know if he does but I really hope he did because he deserved that too. I mean when you first see his story it is sad how he was hurt. Liyan and his brother neither had the best life however the difference between the two is Liyan believed bad things happen you get yourself up and you try for better where his brother became a realist and was hurt.

In the end I absolutely loved his story so much so that now I'm going to have to play something else because I feel like going on to another love interest in Fanfare is just breaking Liyans heart. I haven't felt this way since Ikki in Amnesia. I will review the love interests as I play them though so stay tuned. If you have yet to play the first game do so however if you become a Liyan fan trust me so well worth translating because I figure its like a year or so or more out before its translated. I was glad I didn't wait and my sweet sexy wolf boy now and forever has a place in my heart. He is a well flushed character they did very well with his story. I want to thank the creators for giving us such a jewel inside of Liyan.

[argentumcor]

Having just replayed Never Fade Away, Alt is full of shit. She's her, alright, and Johnny's memory of those events is acurate.

First of all, we have the journal entry, one of the underrated ways he interacts with V:

You get nightmares, don't you V? The stubborn kind that keep coming back, night after night, like they wanna make sure you never forget a single detail, sight or touch? The kind where you can barely breathe because you know what comes next? You ever get those? I know you do. So here - welcome to mine.

Also, there is no version of events, even if you chose the less asshole options, that comes across as flattering to him. He does not regard it as some heroic tale of Johnny; when V comes out of it, he expects her to be as horrified of how he was as he was reliving it.

But it doesn't come across as flattering to Alt, either. She shows up to the concert when she said she probably wouldn't, then they bang which he is sentimental about, and then she's all "it's been real, it's been fun, not quite sure it's been real fun, deuces." She doesn't tell him things, partly for perfectly rational reasons- he was out of his mind between drugs, fame, and, uh, anger issues- and partly because relationship stuff. I get the impression Johnny never hid things from Alt, not that his secrets were dangerous in any way no matter what he thought, but she sure hid things from him. It was an epic love and a true love, but it was not a good love. I think she sees the memory and is defensive about it.

Alt is so clearly still mad at Johnny. She is not human anymore in very fundamental ways, and I think that is far more a choice than just purely a function of her form of existence. We never get a reason for her creating Soulkiller when she was human, but I can't conceive of a good one. I am not one to think technology is ever evil- it's a tool, tools cannot be evil- but Soulkiller (did she name it? As an AI, she denies this, but she plays it that there's Alt and then there's Alt) is only going to end up being used one way, she had to know that, she was not naïve. I've got doubts about Alt's character is all I'm saying. Rogue may deal death callously, but I don't think she is quite so heartless as Alt. Too much heart, maybe- same as Johnny, hence the explosive mix.

Anyway, she is definitely still mad at him. Fond of him, too, almost helplessly, but very mad at him. She so clearly blames him for her death, which is in fact silly. She shuts him down hard when he wants to talk and not casually. An AI, even a cold calculating one, would not essentially slam the door in his face like that. She'd say "I am not the Alt you knew, there is nothing I can say to you that would give you what you want to hear." She does not. He wants to talk, she says "No" and kicks V and Johnny back.

What's interesting about Never Fade Away I think Johnny has some awareness that this is not real. That's why there's less asshole options. Johnny has changed in his time with V, short as it may be at that point (the VDB path is always my second, after Hellman). When he tells Milt "I missed you" it's not 2013 Johnny saying it. It's 2077 Johnny, who is very very alone except for this gonk dead merc chick who is dying because of him and pure shit luck. He should pay his tab the bartender at Atlantis, he should help the merc with the vending machine- I think in real life he didn't do any of these things. He's torn between the inevitable choices and wanting this to go better in some way, to be better. The real choices, I think, are the asshole ones- it's way he always has to come across as a lunatic egomaniac by saying several times that Alt was kidnapped because of him. In 2077, in V's sober brain (you can't match him for the substance abuse in game, excellently displayed), he knows that's not the truth.

This is thematic. The game's nearest thing to a happy ending is The Star, I think most people agree, but it is full of sorrow and uncertainty anyway. Johnny is gone and by the end of the game- if you didn't go for a speedrun of the Devil ending- he is as dear to V as anybody. The Aldecaldos may knows someone who can help, but they may not.

It's not the destination that matters- in the end that is, for all of us, the grave. It's how you get there. Do you choose others before yourself, do you pay your debts (a reoccurring theme in Cyberpunk 2077), or do your choose your own survival- yourself- before all else? You will see the natural consequences of your choice, and you will certainly die as all must, but you must choose.

And you can choose better, shit luck, incomplete information, rotten old world, and all.

[wmufranniefabray]

laying it all out there → fabrevans

TITLE: Laying It All Out There CHARACTERS: Frannie Fabray (@wmufranniefabray) and Sam Evans (@samevans-wmu) DATE: 26th February. SUMMARY: After the gossip tabloids run wild, Sam and Frannie have an open conversation about where they stand.

Sam:

Sam stared at the text screen between himself and Frannie before switching over to Mercedes. No wonder the gossip blog called them a love triangle because that’s exactly what this looks like except Sam’s only into Frannie. Yeah, he’s got things going with a few others but they’re all super casual. It wasn’t until Frannie Fabray entered the scene when Sam felt his pulse quicken and stomach twist in that all familiar way when he’s into someone. Like really into them. Sam looked at the school map, feeling he’s on a quest in a game, and found the lab Frannie mentioned. Sam slowly walked down the hallway and when he reached his destination his head poked into the doorway to see if it’s the right one. “Frannie?” He asked, careful to not be too loud in case someone’s pouring a super volatile solution that might trigger a huge chemical meltdown. “You in here?”

Frannie:

The day had been one of her favourites - the kind of day where Frannie was filled with classes and her brain could properly get stuck into the work she was focussing on, in this case, it was looking at DNA segments. It was where her passion for biology could fully come through and she could fully immerse herself in a subject that she was good at. All day her phone had been buzzing in her pocket, on and off, attempting to distract her from the wonders within the labs, but her mind was made up. The gossip was ridiculous, but may have a glimmer of truth, and her plan was to try and ignore it. That was, until, she had fully started to realise how seriously everyone was taking it. It was easy to camp out with her lab coat on and forget the rest of the world existed. It was a little harder when her phone buzzing was growing more and more persistent. There were only a rare few amount of people that she truly wanted to speak with, though, and Sam was top of the list. Their conversation had been raw, filled with a vulnerability that Frannie had rarely ever let show. As she heard her name being spoken, Frannie raised her head from where she was sitting - cross legged on the floor, leaned over a selection of test tubes - and gave a wave and small smile. “Hi.” She greeted, trying to ignore the flurry of anxious nerves swimming around her stomach. This was Sam, she was safe. Her mind tried to remind herself that it would be fine, but she couldn’t help the uneasy feeling sweeping through her.

Sam:

When he saw a hand go up Sam smiled to himself. It could be anyone’s hand but he recognized the jewelry and voice. As he made his way over Kurt’s words played over and over in his head pull so much better. pull so much better. Is that how his exes viewed him? Was he just one of those guys they string along until a better option comes around? Hell, one of his exes got married last year to another guy in their class. Sam made his way over to Frannie and slid down on the floor. “Hey…” he said and didn’t sound his usual cheerful self. “I want to start and say I am so glad we chose to be honest with each other. I never want to keep things from you. And another thing-“ he paused and leant over to press a sweet kiss to her lips. “You’re amazing. Even after sharing all that stuff about your family and how it might change the way I see you I just want you to know no matter what I feel like I’m getting to know the real Frannie and she’s one of the most amazing women I’ve met.”

Frannie:

Frannie's eyes rose to watch as Sam made his way across, noticing in an instant the change in his demeanour and how his voice just sounded… different. She chewed along her lower lip, guilt washing over all of a sudden, because she hadn’t thought this would cause this kind of reaction. And her not thinking had led to this. As Sam slid down on the floor beside her, Frannie - almost by habit - reached out and took one of his hands into her own, gently squeezing it and running her thumb over his palm. Anything to try and make this situation better. “How are you feeling?” She asked, looking across at Sam with her eyes wide, running over what Sam had revealed to her in their messages in her mind.

“I’m sorry.” The words tumbled out once Sam had pulled away from the kiss between the two of them, looking across to try and meet his eyes. She wanted to say more - perhaps expand on why she was sorry - but in that moment, trying to bring back Sam’s smile was on her mind. The only thing on her mind. “I can’t comment on why things in the past haven’t worked out for you except perhaps criticising their clear lack of taste. All I can comment is on the present. Right now. You’re incredible. And I really don’t want to end this-“ she gestured between the two of them. “this between us anytime soon.” Or ever hung in the air of her mind, lingering as an unspoken melody.

Sam:

“I’m feeling okay. Kind of relieved I put everything out there for you. It’s not that I was keeping stuff from you. Not like that. But more because I like what we’ve got. Our dorm room feels much brighter and not because of the fairy lights. I laugh more in there and I’m not as glued to TV or games. Which you can totally tell me to do if you need Frannie time.”

Sam didn’t know if he should let his insecurity about that Kurt said spill or leave it be. Everyone’s got different tastes. He recognized that. It just the way it was said made Sam feel… defective. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything that’s warranted an apology.”Sam moved closer and carefully slid the test tube thing over to take both her hands. “I don’t want it to end anytime soon. But I also don’t want to make you feel like you’ve got to make a choice between me, Cody, or anyone else. Last thing I want is for you to regret jumping into a relationship.” pull so much better played in head again and Sam shook it. “I meant every word I said in my texts to you. Even when you were drunk. And I keep looking at you in this lab coat and it’s making me want to kiss you. So much for going to a different spot to keep from doing that.” He chuckled, a small smile graced his full lips.

Frannie:

His words were sweet and she couldn’t help the beam that was beginning to form across her lips, the relief washing over her the more Sam was speaking. It was almost as if Sam had a dictionary to her mind and was choosing the perfect selection of words that put her mind at ease. “I’m glad you said something, too.” She admitted, brushing little patterns on his hand with her thumb softly. “You can always talk to me. About anything.” And she meant it. Her words were firm.

Saying sorry was not something Frannie had ever been taught to say in a hurry - it had always signalled a weakness. “I should have spoken to you about the weekend, before.” She explained, shrugging, running her tongue along her lower lip. “The last thing I’d ever want to do is make you feel insecure. That’s the opposite of how I’d want you to feel.” Her eyes watched as Sam moved her biology equipment to the side, trying to resist the urge to explain how awesome her current research findings were. This was not the time. The mention of her situation with Cody made Frannie breathe in gently, looking away for a brief moment. “Would you like me to make a choice?” She asked quietly, looking back at Sam properly. It was a bold question, especially considering how vulnerable she felt she had already been today, but it was a question that Frannie needed to know the answer to. She wanted to prompt further, dig further, find out what was causing Sam to look like that. “No kisses.” Frannie chuckled alongside Sam, reaching out to ‘boop’ Sam on the nose with her finger teasingly. “Tell me what’s going on with you, first. You’re not you.

Sam:

“I know. I actually like we have that kind of relationship. Even before we kissed I felt you’re the kind of person who will make time if someone really needs to talk.” He liked the way her fingers felt on his hand, Sam’s green gaze on the way they traced random patterns on them. This is why he wanted their conversation in person because he needs to know if she’s still comfortable with him after dropping all the information on her.

With a head shake he said, “You had your reasons to keep it from me. Maybe deep down you knew it would bring out this talk we’re having. Or maybe you thought I would view you differently after. Which I don’t. I was gonna wait and see how things were when you got back but our texts carried on like usual and that told me you and Cody might be more about the fun than something serious. At least that’s how I interpreted it because you and I were texting about our feelings and attraction.”

His hand smoothed over hers, stopping her from running random patterns. Sam brought her hand up to his lips to kiss. “I feel like if I say yes it’ll put you in the spot. Do I want to say pick me? Heck yeah. I really, really like what we’ve got going and I want to explore that and everything new with you. But-“ he hated she’s able to pick up his mood shift and knows it’s what’s currently fucking with his mind. Even with the playful nose boop. “It’s stupid.” He breathed. “Read a comment about me online. How someone could do better than me. It’s not I was into the guy or dating him. But it’s a kick to confidence’s balls. Especially after what I told you when it came to my exes. It’s like, maybe I’m great at first when things are new but then I become unbearable at some point. So for you to ask me to choose makes me scared, Fran. I sound weak saying this but it does. What if that guy and all my past exes are right about me. That they can do better. If your family is anything like you painted they’ll probably tell you that. I’m not some polished guy.”

Frannie:

Several thoughts were flooding around Frannie’s brain, most of them all at once - so much so that she removed her gaze again, trying to gain some clarity back in this situation.

A small pause fell between them as she wrestled with her thoughts again. Ever since she had met Sam, honesty had been clear between the two of them. She couldn’t stop that honesty now. “If you’d like me to choose, I’d choose you.” The words were short, and at once, she could feel herself releasing a breath that she hasn’t realised she had been holding in. “Not that Cody isn’t… amazing. He is. But the way you’re glued to my mind, whether we’re together or not? Or the way I find myself increasingly excited to return back to our dorm ever day to see you? You’ve brightened my life so much. There’s no competition at all.”

A small frown crinkled across the side of her forehead as her eyes remained firmly on Sam while she listened to him speak, unflinching. She hadn’t noticed any comments online. “It’s not stupid if it’s affecting you”, Frannie tried to remind him gently, but the mention of her family threw her off-guard. What could she even say to that? She knew Sam was wrong, that the comment was absolutely ridiculous, and yet she could feel herself freezing up at the mention of her family. This was her weakness, something that threw her off guard, as much as she wanted to fight it. Moving her hand from the softness of his lips, she cupped his cheek and felt his skin beneath her fingers. “I’d like to see them try to find someone better than you.” Frannie mused, pursing her lips together in irritation - not at Sam, but at the comment that had been made. Pressing a kiss on his lips, Frannie continued whispering in between each kiss. “You,” Another kiss. “Are.” Kiss. “Incredible.” Kiss. “You’re incredible now. Tomorrow. A year from now. Ten years from now.”Pulling away, Frannie tilted her head upwards to gaze up at Sam. “I wish you could see yourself from my point of view.”

Frannie:

To show Frannie is inner most insecurity, when Sam did everything in his power to mask it, meant he trusted Frannie with these ugly thoughts. Because that’s what they are: ugly. It’s not like he’s looking for validation or pity. He’s not. And if anyone will call him out on his shit would be the very woman across from him, looking like a beautiful vision in her lab coat. “I would choose you, too. There’s no contest. You’re the one who came in and made me want to try again. To say fuck it to all my past exes. But like you saw, that stupid self doubt voice in my head can be a real dick.”

His eyes carefully watched her. There was worry he said too much. That he was too harsh. Or that she’ll see he has too much shit he needs to work through and tell him she needs to get back to her work. But what followed next surprised him. Instead of all the things that would cause him to get kicked out of this lab Frannie managed to assure him everything will be fine between them. Those soft kisses slowly lured a smile onto his lips and the tension in his shoulders subsided. The nasty thoughts from before ebbed away and Sam’s hand reached for her while they kissed. “I think, in time. I will” he whispered. God, was this happening? What started as an off-the-wall gossip post brought them to this very room. On the floor of all places. “I’m sorry what I said before. I was spiraling and-“ he took a deep breath and looked down. “and I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know your family. I like Quinn a lot from the couple times I’ve talked to her.” Sam’s conscious nagged at him about that remark. “If you’ll have me as your main dude it’ll make me ridiculously happy.” He said, finally able to smile that large Sam Evans grin.

Frannie:

“You don’t need to be sorry. Ever.” Frannie told Sam, watching as his eyes trailed to the floor. It felt new, being this honest. She couldn’t ignore the nervous butterflies still lingering in her stomach, almost afraid that she had said too much, revealed too much. And yet there was a simultaneous feeling of anticipation trembling inside of her; giddy, hopeful anticipation. “It’s okay. I don’t think I’ve given you the best impression of my family so far.” Frannie paused before giving a small, reassuring smile. “My momma knows about you already. She’s the one that made the Star Wars baked treats for you and she asked a few questions this weekend about my new, cutie roommate.” It felt strange calling Sam a ‘new’ rommmate, but Frannie had to keep reminding herself that despite the strength in how she was beginning to feel for Sam, this was still very much new. Exciting. But, still new.

Her smile matched Sam’s when she finally saw his grin return. It was a relief to see Sam relatively back to normal again, and she couldn’t help matching his smile. “Main dude, huh?” She repeated, quirking an eyebrow in intrigue. “As much as that sounds perfect, Sammy, and believe me it does. I want to take my time with you. We have time. All the time.” Running a finger along the side of his cheek again, Frannie gave another small smile, it feeling permanently etched on her cheeks. “What do you think about, just focusing on each other? No distractions. No more squares, or any other shapes, for now. Just us?” It was a step. And for Frannie, it felt like quite a big one. “The last thing I’d want is for you to feel rushed. I want you to be totally sure. And ridiculously happy too. Ridiculously happy Sam is the best.”

Sam:

His fingers subconsciously played with one of Frannies bracelets as he spoke, his attention on her lips and the way they moved and how even while speaking he couldn’t stop his thoughts. God, he wants to kiss her again but they’re still in that figure things out stage of things. “Y-you did? I mean, I remember you said she made them but she didn’t think it was for some kid or charity?” He started to laugh at this, feeling better. Much better. “Does your mom think it’s cool for us to share a room? My parents are laid back but they told me to be respectful and not crowd you.” He shared with her while his index finger moved back and forth underneath the band as his other hand held hers.

With a laugh he nodded, “Yeah. I think I got ahead of myself. When you said you choose me and then saying I’m incredible and all those kisses. I lost my head there for a minute. I’ll let you know right now if you ever want something all you gotta do is kiss me like you did before and I’ll probably agree to anything. It’s like kryptonite but better.” He grinned. How can he not when they’re back to how things should be between them. “So we’re dating but not exclusive? Kind of like a trial run to see how we’ll be like as a couple if we decide to take that plunge?” Sam wants to make sure he understands. “No more flirting with other people. Just with each other?” Plus more but that’ll come later. He hopes.

Sam glanced back down at their joined hands and noticed the test tubes. “I interrupted your work. I was so caught up with stuff in my head and our texts I didn’t think to ask it’s a good time to interrupt.” There’s a touch of guilt in his tone but, “What are you working on. Not sure I’ll understand but I want to see you in action here. I like when you talk science to me. It’s hot.” He dished a smirk and then leaned over, placing a hand against the side of Frannie’s neck to press a kiss, this one lingered longer than the ones from before. He enjoyed the softness of her lips and the soft brush of her nose against his. Sam didn’t realize how much he needed that quiet moment between them until the kiss broke.

Frannie:

For the most part, Frannie’s attention had remained relatively focussed, without many distractions. That was until she spotted Sam’s gaze, lowering onto her lips, and she could feel her concentration slipping. She couldn’t help the immediate rush of sinful thoughts that flooded her mind. Mainly about Sam pushing her body up against a wall.

Flushed, Frannie shifted in her seat to try and hide how immediately distracted she was. A crimson blush starting to form on her cheeks may have been a giveaway. “No, of course not. She knew they were for you.” Frannie smiled, before adding. “She likes you. Especially from how much I’ve shared about you. I’m not sure how much of a fan of our living situation she’ll continue to be once she realises it’s anything but pure.”

Her mind considered Sam’s words, thinking carefully before she answered. “Exclusive means not entertaining anybody else, right?” She questioned. “Because, if you’d like to be, we can do that. I don’t really plan on wanting to be with anybody else while we get to know each other.”

A small smile returned to her lips at the mention of her work and she grinned. “I invited you here!” She chuckled, picking up one of the test tubes and raising it so it was a little closer so Sam could see. Inside was some coloured liquid alongside some small cells, paraded at the bottom. “This is what I’m currently looking at. We’re currently looking at how to make copies of specific strands and copies of DNA. It’s so much fun.” The words were gushing from her lips in an excited flurry, her enthusiasm clearly evident. It was only when Sam surprised her with a kiss - this kiss, lingering instead of the shorter kisses from before - did she pause, her eyelashes immediately fluttering closed as returned the kiss. Pressing her hand against the side of his cheek, she could feel the warmth of skin beneath her fingers and she hoped, more than anything, Sam could hear how hard her heart was beating. For him.

Sam:

Did Sam notice the way Frannie shifted and blushed just then? You bet he did. After all, they’re still kissably close. It felt good after all this talk, his opening up about his exes and how an online comment got to him. It’s very well due to bad timing on that. The guy was upset and Sam was already going something in the moment. He just hopes whatever he and Frannie are about to dive into doesn’t result with those three words returning to his head in horrific clarity like the mom’s voice in Carrie before shit got real.

“Pu-“ Sam started to ask and pivoted his question to, “Are you very up front with your mom? I tell my parents things but I keep certain stuff from them. But I guess once our families learn we’re dating they’ll push us to get separate dorms.” Sam licked his lips and brought his attention down to Frannies hands again. Most of her rings are missing, probably because of the lab. He doesn’t know why he’s focusing on how beautiful and delicate her hands are and how they make him feel all sorts of flustered when she touches oh. Samuel! Focus! “Right.” He snapped out of it. “I’m fine with us to continue living together while we date. Get to know each other in a deeper level. It’ll only be you from now on. All the flirting and everything stops. But, and I’m cool with this, you feel better we have some space and stay in different dorms…” he trailed and chuckled. “Okay, maybe I’m not so on board with that. I like what we’ve got. A lot.”

Sam laughed at her reminder and comically shrugged at this. “I know but you didn’t know the exact time I was rolling in here to talk.” He pointed out. Sam watched as Frankie’s eyes lit up, just like when she talks to him about her favorite authors of showing him a piece of jewelry she just bought. His gaze fell onto the tube and took in the contents and how cool it is! “Isn’t that the cells people use to help regenerate skin? I see this and hear DNA and my mind goes to replicating tissue.” He laughed to himself.

It’s a combination of their honest talk, her lab coat, Frannie’s excitement about her DNA project, and the fact Sam’s feel all sorts of head-over-heels for this woman which brought him to kiss her mid explanation. He didn’t mean it to go as long as it did but her hand on his neck encouraged him to keep with this. There’s the softest noise from Frannie and Sam playfully teased her tongue with his before remembering where they’re at. His lips inched from hers but his fingers pushed a loose strand of hair that slipped from her pony tail. “I-I couldn’t help myself. You got talking about science and looked so cute and excited. And everything from before with what we talked about and-“ he chuckled but there’s such a bright smile on his face, the complete opposite from the Sam who entered this lab 10 minutes ago. “If there’s ever anything sciencey you want to share with me. Just shoot a text and I’ll jog down here. I might not get most of it when you explain it but it means something to you and I want to be a part of that excitement.” His hand rested on her knee as he spoke. Little touches, hand holding, kisses, they’ve worked their way into their lives it all feels natural to him. But now they’ll solely be shared with each other and that made Sam’s heart do a happy backflip. Figuratively. If it actually did that he’d die. “I should get going though. I have class in an hour and gotta grab a bite before it.” He sighed as he moved to his feet. “If we’re not too swamped with studying do you wanna continue that book we started yesterday?”

[txemrn]

Until You Love Me

Chapter 1: We Are the Crowd...

Pairings: Ethan Ramsey x f!MC (Casey Valentine); f!MC (Casey Valentine) x f!OC (Tatum Erikson)

Series Summary: Constantly worried about Ethan's faithfulness, Casey Valentine's paranoia reaches an all-time high when she meets a blast from his past.

Chapter Summary: A celebratory night at Donahue's takes a turn when Casey meets a girl that has caught Ethan's eye

Music Inspo: "Paparazzi" - Kim Dracula

Word Count: ~2500

Rating/Warnings: 🔞 Mature Audiences Only🔞 This miniseries will contain NSFW material (🍋), infidelity, language, discussion and/or depiction of medical situations, gaslighting, mental abuse & illness, suicide, violence, criminal activity; alcohol use

A/N: I am SUPER pumped to be participating in week 1 of @choicesflashfics prompt challenge! I chose prompt #1: “You getting so flustered is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.” The prompt will be in bold.

A/N2: This is very much an AU; our main characters will be written OOC; most of these characters and some plot points belong to our friends at Pixelberry. Special thanks to my sweet friends that helped me brainstorm and pre-read various parts of this. This is not beta'd, so please forgive my errors.

~🖤~

Donahue's. The vibrant, neon sign to the well-known dive bar illuminates the otherwise quiet street. The establishment itself rests comfortably in a residential neighborhood a few blocks north of the medical district. A small parking lot was added years ago--not that anyone abides by the yellow fluorescent lines. But even with Donahue's attempting to appear more official, more business-like, everyone reveres it like a second home. A place to relax. A place where people know your name.

He lowkey loves it here; that's the only reason he dared to venture out tonight. If Ethan Ramsey had it his way, he would much rather stay in on a Sunday evening, enjoying a finger of scotch with the Patriots on mute and his nose in a historical prose.

But lucky for me, not tonight. 

Tonight is Midnight Madness, a rite of passage among med school graduates and residents where we celebrate a turning of the page, so-to-speak, as we all take the next big step in our medical careers. For my Edenbrook friends and I, gone are the days of being the scut of the hospital, the runts, the bottom of the healthcare food chain. Residency is over, and Monday morning brings private practice, fellowships, and new research. It’s one last time for celebration.

So, of course, I naturally want Ethan here with me. 

As I step out of the car, he walks ahead of me. He's due for a haircut, but I secretly love watching his dark waves gently bounce on the collar of his shirt. He's wearing one of my favorites: a pinstripe Hilfiger button-down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, the musculature of his defined forearms on display. His pressed khaki chinos accentuate his well-rounded, well-toned backside, and I must admit: my eyes fail to look away from the beautiful spectacle.

Well, that is until I nearly collided with the front door to the sports bar. 

He didn't hold it open for me. 

And my heart sinks.

As I slip inside, Reggie, the bar owner, nods my direction, giving me a kind, sympathetic smile. 

Did he see that, too? 

He fixes my favorite drink – a cherry vodka sour – and slides the glass tumbler in front of my usual stool at the bar. I slink into my seat. Sipping through a straw, I casually glance around the large, open-concept room, looking for my Ethan. 

Where did he go?

The room is dark with warm ambient lighting from stage lights, disco balls and multicolored lamps. There's a subtle haze of smoke as bar patrons sway to the heavy pulse of the music.

The bass is hypnotic, and I feel the energy thrumming in my veins as I sip on my cocktail, surveying the room.

There he is; there's my handsome man. 

But I feel the joy drain out of my face instantly. 

He's talking to a tall, curvy blonde at a bar-top table near the jukebox. Who is she? She's wearing a silk, black camisole that lays perfectly across her full assets along with a snug pair of perfectly-tailored skinny jeans that show off her long legs and obviously plump rear.

She's beautiful. Actually… she's stunning. 

Does Ethan even know her? 

Oh God. He just made her laugh. She tosses back her head, her platinum tresses bouncing over her shoulders as she coyly covers her nose and mouth. 

It couldn't have been that funny.

Ethan takes a sip of his own amber drink, no doubt a top shelf. But his eyes remain trained on her.

What the hell is going on right now?

"Would you like another?" Reggie pulls me from the scene unfolding in front of me–and it's a good thing, too. I feel my jealousy building in the pit of my stomach. 

I always worried about other women making moves on my man. But… I never thought I'd have to worry about him reciprocating flirtation.

He wouldn't. I know he wouldn't do that to me. To us.

No. I'm sure there is a logical explanation to Ethan's exchange with this woman. More than likely, this is purely innocent, and I'm just perceiving this all completely wrong.

Although reality is perception…

Shit.

I cordially smile at the bartender, nodding my head. "Better make it a double."

—---

It's been over an hour, and Ethan has barely spoken to me. I already sense the odd looks in my direction as if everyone can sense the awkwardness between us. Damnit, I hate people giving me that look, as if they pity me. What they don’t know is that Ethan and I have a mutual understanding; he’s not into public displays of affection.

Does he have to act like such a prick?

Okay, that’s not fair. I know that’s how I’m perceiving him. He’s not a prick, but I would think he’d at least talk with me. If I had known he was going to be this cold, I would've stayed home.

Being with this man is maddening.

I finish another drink, raising up my finger in Reggie’s direction to order another one. I nonchalantly glance around the room. I can see Ethan lounging outside on a brick patio next to a firepit, sharing cigars with Tobias and Victor, two of his longtime friends and colleagues. He’s smiling, which always makes for a good night for us.

Suddenly I remember the blonde, and my eyes naturally shift to where she was sitting. But, she’s gone.

Did she leave already?

I shrug, turning back to my freshly served beverage.  Keeping my hands in my lap, I lean over the polished bar, capturing the wayward straw first with my tongue, then my mouth.

“So that’s the kind of night you’re aiming for.”

I abruptly twirl around on my stool, following the seductive giggle, and I am met face-to-face with the blonde bombshell Ethan was talking to earlier.

Only now, I am up close and personal, and I swear I am staring at a goddess.  Her skin is like a blanket of sun-kissed velvet. Her golden hair sits like a crown on her head, and her rosy, heart-shaped lips frame her pearly white teeth.

Damnit, she's gorgeous. No wonder Ethan was staring at her…

“Is this seat taken, doll?” She gracefully gestures to the stool next to me, the simple movement seductively mesmerizing. I lock my attention on her, swimming deep in the ocean of her blue eyes. 

I pretend to sip my drink as I motion for her to sit. As she makes herself comfortable, I look around the bar, noticing at least eight other open seats she could've taken.

But she chose to sit next to me…

I bite my lip as she continues talking. "God," she sets her clutch on the bar, crossing her legs. "Espadrilles are supposed to be comfortable, right?" She chuckles. "My toes keep going numb, and I swear my arches are bleeding." As she bends over to adjust her shoe, I'm given the perfect view straight down her slinky shirt.

No bra… Damnit! She saw me looking…

She snickers deviously, a mischievous Cheshire grin stretching across her face as if to pretend she didn't just catch me staring at her tits. "I'm Tatum," she holds out her hand to shake mine. "What's your name, doll?"

"Casey," I say softly.

"Wait," she grabs my arm as a look of surprise etches across her face. "Casey? As in Ethan Ramsey's Casey?"

I curiously look at Tatum, taken aback by her words, and I can feel a smile curling on my lips. "Yeah… yeah, that's me. How… how did you–?"

"I met him earlier! Girl…" she grows conspiratorially quiet, "he's quite the looker." She titters, "you need to keep him on a tighter leash!"

I let out a cordial laugh. Reggie passes by us, raising his eyebrows at me. I grin, nodding that everything is fine.

"But listen," Tatum grabs my hand endearingly. "Before I could even try hitting on him, he told me he was here with the most beautiful woman in the world–"

"Pssh," I hiss. I look down at our hands, lowering my voice. "He did not."

"Did too!" She begins to trace circles across my skin with her thumb. "He said you were waiting up here at the bar for him, and your name was Casey." 

I can feel my cheeks warm. He might be cold towards me tonight, but Ethan Ramsey truly does love me.

"Oh, Tatum," I throw my arms around her shoulders, "I know we just met, but you have managed to make my night a million times better."

She pats my back. "Were you having a bad night?"

I pull back and give her a guilty-look. "No?" I sigh heavily. "Yes? I don't know" I lay my head in my hands.

"What's wrong, doll?" She combs my strawberry-blonde hair behind my ears as her voice turns into a whisper. "Is this about Ethan?"

I timidly nod my head.

"Oh gosh, Casey!" She puts a finger under my chin, lifting my gaze back to hers. "I don't know what has happened with you two in the past, but that gorgeous man loves you." She pauses, watching me. "Is he having trouble showing that to you?"

Is it that obvious?  I nod.

She exhales dramatically as her long eyelashes flutter across her high cheekbones. "Men," she mumbles, shaking her head which causes me to giggle. She catches my gaze… and it feels like–I don't know… she continues. "How's the sex?"

I begin to choke on my drink, covering my shocked expression with my fingers. "Wh–what?"

"The sex?" She wiggles her eyebrows. "Oh c'mon," she snickers, "I bet he's hot in the sack."

I feel a swirl of heat invade my neck and face as I take a long pull from my vodka drink. 

Why would she ask that?

“I see,” she exhales. “Well,” she tilts her head to meet my gaze before taking my hand and settling it into her lap. "Maybe you need to… spice things up." 

She begins to gently caress my hand in hers.  I feel goosebumps ignite across my body, a sudden ache forming deep in my belly as I stare at her full lips.

Wait… no. 

I shake my head as I stand up.

What's happening here?

"I–I'm sorry, Tatum, but I think I gave you the wrong impression. I'm not like that," I grab my purse.

“Casey,” Tatum slips out of her chair, “don’t go. I’ll leave.”  She leans over her barstool, collecting her clutch. As she stands up straight, she brushes her body against mine, her lips a breath away from the shell of my ear. “But if you do want to spice things up,” she whispers, “come find me.”

The rush of my own air escapes my lungs. My toes contort as electricity ignites through my nerves. 

God, she’s so sexy…

This is insane; I just met her! And yet, she... and my body...

What the fuck? 

If I wanted to 'spice things up'… What does that even mean? Does she mean my sex life with Ethan? Or specifically my own personal life?

What has me more curious: how would she spice things up?

I pay my tab, wishing Reggie a good evening.  Ethan is still outside, and I see a table with my old friends, deep in jubilant celebration of Midnight Madness.  I don’t want to interrupt, so sneak past the crowd, quickly retreating to the bathroom.

There she is. 

She’s casually bent over the sink, finger-combing her hair.  As the door shuts behind me, she turns to look at me before raising an eyebrow.

I can feel beads of sweat collecting on my back  My pulse turns into a gallop as I watch Tatum take a step towards me.

And then another.

She slinks past me, reaching for the door to lock the deadbolt.

The silence is driving me crazy; the unspoken anticipation feeds into my arousal. Should it be?  I mean, that’s what this is, right?  Something sexual? I clear my throat.

“So, um… about spicing things up?”  With the clacking of her heels, Tatum slowly approaches me, towering over my petite frame.

God, she–she's just so…

I swallow thickly when she doesn’t respond. “How does this… I mean, how will, um–?”

Tatum begins to laugh, gently cupping my cheek in her hand. “You getting so flustered is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen.” With her other hand, she rakes her nails through my hair.  

My eyes flutter close, relishing her intimate touch. 

God, it’s been so long.

“Just relax, doll,” she purrs.  

And without warning, she captures my hungry lips, but in a way my body isn’t used to.  It feels soft, sweet… even somewhat innocent, caring, as if she doesn’t want to hurt me.  But the pull of her mouth teases me, coaxing my lips apart as the flick of her tongue sweeps inside to tickle my own.

Oh, this. This is so…

A quiet moan escapes from me as Tatum grabs my hips.  She giggles against my supple pout, continuing to kiss me with fervor. Harder. Faster.

She walks me backwards, pushing my body against the cool brick.  Pulling out of our kiss, she stares into my eyes. There’s an intensity there I’ve never seen, never experienced before in my life. And I’m terrified. And thrilled. And…

Just touch me again…

She gently strokes my flushed cheek with the back of her fingers before caressing my neck.

Then my breasts.

“Are you sure you want to spice things up, doll?” She pants.

I feel my chest rising and falling in pace with her breathing. I’ve never felt so intune with someone in all my life–let alone, a woman. 

My eyes flicker to her beautiful, feral mouth. God, I need it on me…

And with the nod of my head, she unbuttons my jeans before dropping to her knees.

—-----

It's just past 9AM Monday morning, and I'm already on my third cup of coffee. No doubt I'll have jitters later, but after being exhausted in the most heavenly way possible, it's so worth it.

Ethan didn't say anything last night. Or this morning. 

Oh God, was that cheating? 

Shit. I didn't think this through…

But it was with a woman. And I'm not… well, at least I don't think I am…

It doesn't count, right?

But, damn, it was good.

I round through the department, checking on my fresh batch of interns, mulling around, glued to their pocket diagnostics guides.

Oh, to be young again…

As I turn the corner to enter the charting station, I suddenly freeze, recognizing a familiar tall blonde. 

In a white coat.

What the…? Tatum? 

Even under the fluorescent lights, her platinum highlights perfectly shine, her waves bouncing effortless on her shoulders. Her scarlet wrap dress hugs her curves beautifully, and her patent-leather nude pumps show off her toned calves, those thick thighs, and–

Tatum clears her throat.

Shit.

As Tatum goes back to looking at her charts, I slowly saunter up bedside her.

What do I even say? Just be cool…

“Morning, Tatum,” I smile.

She squints her eyes, giving me a cordial smile.

“Uh, hi,” she stutters, her face contorting. “Do I know you?”

~🖤~

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[hotcocoaandstripedsweaters]

OC-tober Day 10: Kisser in a different time period

Recently, I’ve been working on a Star Wars fic with a higher than usual number of OCs. The fic isn’t posted yet, but I thought I might put a few of these out there.

Once again, this has run long--longer even than the last one--so it's under a read more. I just couldn't resist writing a cute little fic cliché with everyone's favorite womp rat.

The original post is here by @icannotreadcursive.

Day 1

~+~

Din Djarin has gotten used to rolling with the weird stuff that comes from having a Force Sensitive kid.

Well, he certainly likes to think so, anyway.

Right up until his kid triggers a lightshow in some old ruins and a young Boba Fett falls out in unfamiliar armor.

“Karking shit hells,” Boba groans, face down on the stone floor.

Din has to agree.

Grogu burbles happily, slapping at the symbol he’d touched on the wall. Fortunately, there are no more light shows.

Boba looks Grogu and smiles, lighter and freer than Din has ever seen. “What’s a tubie like you doing out of the creche?” he asks as he sits up.

Grogu babbles happily, toddling over to Boba and gesturing at Din. Boba almost dismisses him, then does a double take.

“Heyyyyy, Mando,” he draws out the greeting uncertainly, in a distinctly un-Boba-like fashion.

“Fett,” Din greets.

Boba tilts his head in confusion, even as he holds a hand out to Grogu–palm open, relaxed, and not poised to grab. “Sorry, you got the wrong guy. Name’s Kisser.”

It’s Din’s turn to tilt his head. Grogu babbles and slaps at the proffered hand happily.

“Buuur,” Grogu coos.

“Yeah, your buir’s got me mixed up with someone,” Kisser says, nonchalant despite not taking his eyes off Din. “Why’d you bring me here, youngling? Need some help?”

“He likes old Temples,” Din says, as if that explains anything.

Kisser glances around. “Ah, Force Nonsense.”

“You’re familiar with Jedi magic?” Din’s surprised. He doesn’t know many people who sound so confident when it comes to Grogu’s magic.

Kisser laughs and confirms, “Yeah, enough to know most of them will reflexively tell you it isn’t magic. Why? You need one?”

Din shakes his head. “The kid chose to stay with me, rather than his teacher.”

“Aww,” Kisser coos, turning to Grogu, “You really love your buir, huh?”

Grogu shrieks happily, tugging Kisser’s fingers as though to pull him closer to Din.

“Kid,” Din scolds, “Give him a minute.”

“Nahhh, it’s alright,” Kisser waves off Din’s protest, standing in a crouch so that Grogu can drag him over to Din. When Grogu lets go of his fingers in favor of clinging to Din’s shin, Kisser stands. He’s a little taller than Boba is, and younger. He doesn’t have the same scars, and his attitude is completely different as he smiles at Din. “Seems like your kid wants me to meet you properly.”

“Seems so.”

“Think I can head back the way I came?”

“Probably not.”

Kisser sighs, “Thought you might say that.” He opens a panel in his vambrace and taps at some kind of navigation unit. “Looks like we’re out in Mandospace too. You don’t happen to be on good terms with Kryze, by any chance?”

Din shrugs, “We didn’t part on good terms. You know her?”

“Not personally,” Kisser says casually, “But I heard a rumor my General was pretty close with her once upon a time. Thought she might be able to get a call out to him.”

“I got comms on my ship,” Din offers slowly.

Kisser looks up from his nav in surprise. “You sure?”

“Why not?” Din counters, curious.

“Mandalorians don’t like Jedi and Mandalorians don’t like Vode,” Kisser says, confident as though he’s listing simple truths of the universe. “Figured with a kid on board, you wouldn’t want me there.”

Grogu makes an affronted noise and starts crawling up Din’s leg. He snorts and picks up the little womp rat.

“There are a lot of different kinds of Mandalorians,” he says, as though he has always known this and it isn’t at all a recent revelation. He turns to lead the way to his ship.

“You know Jango Fett,” Kisser protests, even as he keeps pace. His tone is light, but the way he glances around for another exit betrays his hesitation.

“Don’t know a Jango,” Din corrects him, “Just Boba.”

Kisser looks startled, “How?”

“He took over Mos Espa on Tatooine.” Din shrugs.

“They let kids take over cities out there?”

“Kids?”

“He’s not even fourteen standard yet, is he?” Kisser protests, doing a quick count on his hands.

“He’s older than you,” Din says, baffled.

“Well yeah,” Kisser scoffs, as if it’s obvious, “But I know some Vode decanted around the same time as him, and they said he ages like a Human.”

Din eyeballs him, “And you’re not Human?”

“I’m a Vod,” Kisser eyeballs him right back. “A clone. Do you not get Republic news out here?”

“Which Republic?” Din says tiredly. There were so many ridiculous little governances since the Empire started shattering, how was he supposed to keep up?

“Which–?” Kisser splutters, coming to a stop in his shock. “The one that standardized Galactic Basic, also known as Republic Basic? The language we’re speaking?? Right now???” 

“I thought that was the Empire?” Din tries to reach back to the history lessons he got before he was adopted by the covert, but it’s too fuzzy.

“Empire?!” Kisser shrieks. Grogu makes soothing noises, a toddler’s imitation of what Din does to calm him down. His adorableness is wasted on the distracted adults. 

Din tilts his head. “They’re the largest single government in the galaxy?”

“The Republic is the largest single government in the galaxy!” Kisser says despairingly. 

They stare at each other.

“Clone like…the Clone Wars?” Din finally asks. He doesn’t really want him to answer.

Kisser, blessedly, doesn’t. “How old is Boba Fett, exactly?”

“Let’s go ask.”

The walk is tense and quiet, but they get back to the ship. When Boba answers the call, Kisser takes one look at him and is gone–armor falling to the floor, letting out a small puff of dust.

“What the hell was that, Djarin?” Boba demands.

“A Vod,” Din says, completely bewildered.

Grogu bursts into tears.

~+~

Day 11