#my mom told everyone that i'm getting a tattoo so i had to deal with my grandpa trying to convince me not to all night lmao

[kirstielol]

a super tiny mug of buttertart liqueur, and last night's really pretty pink sunset sky with my dad photobombing the picture lmao ✌️

last night my parents had a little get together with my grandparents and my great aunt. i haven't seen my grandparents in so long, it was really nice to see everyone. such a fun night.

[se4son-of-the-witch]

when you know you know - matt sturniolo

in which seeing matt interact with your little cousin tugs on your heartstrings

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Nerves were running rampant through Matt's body. You could practically feel it. Most of the car ride had been silent, which was unusual. The two of you would normally talk the whole time, talking about your day or anything that was on your mind.

However, Matt was too uneasy to speak. Today he was finally going to be meeting the rest of your family. He had met your parents a few months earlier, and of course, he was nervous, but this was a whole different level of anxiousness.

You two had been together for almost a year. He had met your parents a few months in, and they absolutely adored him. It was the same way when you met his. But, meeting the rest of your family was an even bigger deal to him.

Every year, your family would host a big cookout in the summer. It was a way for everyone to see each other and catch up. And you thought it would be the perfect idea to bring Matt.

"It's okay, baby." Your hand found his arm, gently grabbing onto the tattooed skin. You began to rub patterns onto the skin, trying to calm him down. His eyes left the road for a split second, locking onto yours. You gave him a small smile as you looked into his eyes. They were slightly widened, which told you just how anxious he was. "I'll be with you the whole time."

After about twenty more minutes of driving, Matt pulled his car into your aunt's driveway. You watched his fingers slightly tremble as he took the key out of the ignition, which made you frown to yourself. "You ready, babe?" you asked as you unbuckled your seatbelt. He gave a short nod before the both of you exited the car.

You stood hand in hand at the front door, waiting for someone to open it. Matt occasionally gave your hand a squeeze, which you learned was a way he coped with his anxiety. Soon enough, the door opened to reveal your little cousin. "Y/n!" she squealed. She ran up to you, wrapping herself around your body. Her head rested on your stomach as she looked up at you, making you laugh.

"Hi, Julie." Julie was your little cousin and was only six years old. Over the years, the two of you had grown quite close. At every family event, she stayed attached to your hip. "How have you been, pretty girl?"

"Good."

You turned to look at Matt. He had a big smile on his face as he looked down at Julie. "She's the cutest isn't she?" He nodded at you. "Julie, this is Matt." She looked up at him, shyly waving at him.

"Hi, Julie." He held his hand out for a high five, which she hesitantly accepted.

"Y/n, it's so good to see you." Your aunt came around the corner, wiping her hands on her pants. Based on that, you could tell she had been cooking. She loved to cook and you always enjoyed her food. Her arms wrapped around you, pulling you into her chest for a hug. As she pulled away, she looked you up and down. "Don't you look awful pretty?"

"You know I get it from my mama," you replied with a laugh.

Her eyes wandered from you and over to Matt. She gave him a quick look before looking back to you. "Oh, this is Matt."

"It's nice to meet you, Matt." She pulled him in for a quick hug, which he stiffly accepted. "I'm Y/n's aunt Veronica."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. L/N."

"Oh, please call me Veronica. Calling me Mrs. sounds so old," she said with a laugh. A nervous chuckle left his mouth as he nodded. "Well, I'll let y'all get out there. I gotta get back to the kitchen anyway."

You grabbed Matt's hand and led him out to the backyard. Your parents were sitting at a table, talking to your grandparents. You walked over towards them, Matt following close behind you.

You wrapped your arms around your mom, resting your head on her shoulder. "Hi, my girl." Your mom grabbed onto your arms, giving them a loving squeeze.

You pulled away, making her turn around in her seat. Her eyes landed on Matt, immediately lighting up. "Matt, it's good to see you, honey." He walked over to her, giving her a quick hug.

After your father hugged you, he walked over to Matt, giving him a pat on the back. "It's good to see you. Don't be too nervous, I was in your position not too long ago," he joked. Matt let out a laugh, which made you smile to yourself.

For the next few hours, you spent your time stuffing your face and introducing Matt to the rest of your family. It was safe to say they liked him already. And you could see every ounce of nervousness leave his body.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, you made your way back outside. From across the yard, you could see Matt and Julie. She was on her swing and Matt stood behind her, gently pushing her forward. The sight alone made your heart burst.

You walked back to the table, taking a seat beside your aunt. Your eyes were still glued onto Matt, smiling as you saw how he interacted with Julie. How he made sure he was gentle and the big, toothy grin he had on his face. The sound of Julie's precious giggles filled your ears, making you clutch onto your heart.

"You picked a good one." You turned your attention to your aunt, who nudged your shoulder. "I've never seen her be so comfortable with someone so quick before."

"I know." The two of you sat side by side, watching as Matt played with Julie.

As the night came to an end, the sun started to set, making the air around you get chilly. After telling all of your aunts and uncles goodbye, you made your way over to Matt. He was still playing with Julie, only they had moved to her little table in the grass.

As you got closer, you saw Julie asleep on Matt's lap, her head resting on his chest. A little bit of drool shined from the corner of her mouth making you laugh to yourself. But the way Matt held onto her made butterflies erupt in your stomach. It's almost like he was made for this. Just seeing how good he was with kids made your heart stop.

"You ready to go?"

He placed his finger to his lips, making a shushing sound. "We gotta put to her bed first," he whispered. He carefully stood up, making sure not to wake her. His hand found the back of her head, holding her against his chest. You led him up into her room, tucking her in for bed.

When the two of you were back in the car, you couldn't help but sigh to yourself. It was such a good day for both of you. "What?"

You turned to look at him. "They loved you, Matt. They really did." You grabbed onto his hand, interlocking his fingers with yours. "Seeing you with Julie really made me happy. You don't understand how cute you looked." He softly laughed, squeezing your fingers.

No one in the world could be better for you.

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a/n: had to take a break from writing smut, was getting kinda tired of writing it 😭😭 but i just know matt would make an amazing girl dad ☹️

[savemefromanepicoftimewasted]

The Gang's All Here

Biker!John Price X Wife!Reader

 It was adorable, you were the mom of the group when it came to everything, especially when they were on leave. You’d invite everyone over and feed them until they were all too full.

a/n:this fic was inspired by this GORGEOUS artwork by @yakowo and I could not get the idea out of my head, also for anyone who voted in favor for the tattoos? you're welcome (P.S. I'm so sorry for making you guys wait MONTHS for this!)

(These are the tattoos I picture John having!)

John wasn’t the type of person that you’d expect to come onto base riding a motorcycle, a Harley Davidson no less. So, when Soap and Gaz were outside cracking jokes together their jaws dropped as John parked the roaring beast. When the hell had he managed to find the time to ride? It felt like they’d been gone for the last year nonstop. Gaz had heard all about how much you missed John. It was adorable, you were the mom of the group when it came to everything, especially when they were on leave. You’d invite everyone over and feed them until they were all too full.

“Laswell approved the time off, we’re gonna get to spend Halloween with the missus this year.” Gaz was probably more excited than anyone.

It may have been due to the fact you were all planning on matching, Gaz had picked Simon’s name from the hat, while you and Johnny were going to be matching. John downright refused, saying he couldn’t trust the boys to pick his costume. He’d made you swear to secrecy, no one was allowed to know his costume until Halloween. You weren’t complaining though, not after he’d promised to let you help ‘grease him up’.

“Better not get too rowdy this year, lord knows Johnny nearly got arrested last time.” Of course that had been because someone had tried to roughly grab you when John was off getting you drinks.

The boys had always been quite protective of you, doing whatever they could to make sure you were safe and keep all the creeps away. You’d been married to their captain the entire time they’d all known one another, so you were the co-captain in their eyes. Johnny was definitely the most protective, he saw you as a little sister(even though you were older than him). Simon would simply glare at anyone who looked at you wrong, scaring them off before they could utter a single word. Gaz would throw down with anyone who dared utter a single bad thing about you, how dare you disrespect his co-captain!

“He said he’d be on his best behavior, something about not wanting to anger the missus this time.” You’d turned into a scolding mother when Johnny began to act out, it was hilarious to watch.

John had thrown you over his shoulder even while you were kicking and screaming to be put down so you could continue your scolding. Johnny learned that night not to piss you off lest he deal with your wrath for the rest of the night. It was a comical thing, knowing you could insight fear into a man who sees death for a living.

“Better not, she told me they’re doing matching costumes and I can’t risk her needin’ to get a costume last minute.” That wasn’t to say you wouldn’t be able to find something from your closet, but you’d planned this months prior.

“Simon and I are too, you’re gonna be the odd man out captain.” Gaz smirked over at the other man, noticing the way his brow raised slightly.

“You and Ghost are wearing matching costumes? How’d you convince him?” Simon wasn’t afraid to let loose and enjoy himself, but wearing a costume to match with Kyle? That was shocking.

“Said he wanted to wear something to help get some attention, can’t say much else.” Gaz was going to keep his lips sealed until halloween had arrived, it was going to be the surprise of the century.

John knew better than to try and pry, this was out of his hands and as long as you were happy, he was happy. His mind began to wander for a few seconds, what would the holidays be like when you had your own little tots running around. You’d probably dress them up into cute halloween costumes and take them trick or treating. It didn’t sound like such a horrible thing at the moment, seeing you take the little ones up to the doors to get candy you’d sneak for yourself. No, no thinking about things like that when you’re at work and have important things to do, like a mountain of paperwork.

“Keep an eye on things and make sure the new recruits aren’t acting like idiots, please.” John waited for Gaz to acknowledge his words before heading down to his office.

The picture from your wedding day was the only one he’d been willing to take to base with him, not wanting to risk the wrong person knowing about you. His wedding ring sat alongside his dog tags, resting against his chest every day. It was a reminder that no matter how stressful things could be, he would always go home to you at the end of the day. They weren’t due for another assignment until the end of November, mainly because Laswell needed more intel first. Maybe that was the only reason they were allowed the few weeks of leave that was granted. Oh well.

It was nearing seven at night by the time John realized he hadn’t so much as left his desk to get a drink or even a bite to eat. Shit, you were going to absolutely ream his ass when he got home and you found out. This wasn’t the first time, and absolutely wasn’t going to be the last that he’d completely forgotten about himself. Simon had given him hell from time to time, telling him he needed to eat before you showed up at the base yourself. It had only happened once, though that was more due to the fact he needed the paperwork he’d forgotten and not because he hadn’t left his desk for..ten hours.

Standing up and stretching his tired limbs he groaned at the exertion and cracking from his idle bones. Shit, he had definitely been sitting for too long if standing for a few seconds sent shivers down his spine almost instantly. Time to get something to eat and head home for the next few weeks. He’d barely made it out of his office before Johnny was running over with what could only be described as childlike glee.

“Captain! Was hopin’ I could catch you.” The plus side of working alongside Johnny was that he could get shit done when necessary, the downside is when he was excited the man could talk forever.

“Just grabbing a quick bite and heading out, have you got your leave papers yet?” John didn’t have much time to talk, not if he wanted to make it home before you were in bed already.

“Just this mornin’, I wanted to ask about the bike.” Johnny was nervous, given that the last time he’d seen one was nothing more than a quick glance on their last mission.

“What about it?” John turned into the cafeteria, grabbing a plastic wrapped sandwich that was most likely made that morning.

Johnny wrung his hands together nervously, if questioned he would vehemently deny that his palms had become sweaty when asking his higher-up about something as simple as a motorcycle. Maybe he could just ask you about it instead, surely John had told you some things here and there and you’d managed to pick up any information.

“I uhh, I was wondering where you got it, she’s a beaut.” There, he’d ripped off the bandaid and didn’t need to make this any harder than it needed to be.

“Found her through a seller, she was in pretty rough shape so I’ve been fixin’ her up on leaves.” The bike was John’s pride and joy, second of course to you, but he loved his harley in a different way.

“Oh! Okay, that’s cool.” Johnny nodded, keeping a slight distance between himself and his captain.

“Any reason you’re asking?” John grabbed a bottle of water before turning to sit down at one of the open tables.

Johnny felt his nerves skyrocket, how does one admit they’d always wanted to ride but were too afraid of nearly getting themselves killed? His mother had given him hell for it, saying he’d lose his life by being reckless. It had deterred the idea for years, but seeing so many bikes made him want to do it anyway. 

“No reason, see you later cap.” Johnny nodded once before heading out of the room.

John wouldn’t lie and say he wasn’t confused, it wasn’t often that people even saw him on the rumbling biped vehicle, but given the opportunity he always took it. Nothing more invigorating than feeling the wind whip around you, the sound of the bike echoing behind. You would beg John to take you for a ride constantly, especially on date night.

The recruits were quiet as they sat amongst themselves, discussing what their next drills would possibly be. It suddenly hit John how old he was, he’d been so used to making sure that everyone else was taken care of that he hadn’t taken the time to really look at life. You’d both discussed having children when the both of you were truly ready. If it came down that neither of you would truly be ready for a child, then neither of you would become parents. He’d just be the fun uncle that could send the kiddos home hyped up on sugar.

After he’d finished his sandwich and water it was time to head out. Any paperwork was sent off for review, and if it wasn’t up to Laswell’s standards she could wait until he was back. Getting home and relaxing for the rest of the night was high on his priority list at the moment. Maybe the two of you could order take out instead of cooking, maybe even a glass of wine to go along with it. You’d be dealing with everyone in a few days anyway, god where had the year gone that it was already Halloween again.

The sun was nearly gone by the time John had made it out of his office, grabbing the keys to his bike and heading towards the garage. Ghost’ voice was booming, words sharp as a whip towards whomever he was angry with. John sighed deeply before turning towards the shooting range, if it was a new recruit this could get ugly fast. And much to his annoyance it was not one, but four new recruits, each of them looked terrified as Simon nearly towered over them.

“Do you think this is a joke? Something to laugh about?!” Ghost was enraged, hands clenched into fists by his side.

“No sir.” They spoke in unison, each with their heads down, gazes locked on the floor.

“The next time you come in here thinkin’ you’re gonna play with the weapons, I will have you removed, permanently.” Ghost took gun safety quite seriously, one wrong move could end the lives of multiple people.

“Yes sir.” They all nodded, waiting for further instructions.

“Get out of my sight.” Ghost crossed his arms over his chest, waiting until they all scrambled away before turning to face John.

There were no words shared between the two men, neither of them needed to say anything to get their points across anyway. However, John wanted to make sure that Simon would be alright before leaving for the night.

“Still coming over for Halloween?” John was still curious on what Gaz had picked for the costumes, couldn’t be too bad.

“I promised your missus I would anyway.” No one on the task force could tell you no, it was adorable.

“I’ll see you then, make sure the recruits stay out of trouble.” John nodded at him, heading down to the garage so he could get home to you.

The night air was cold, bike rumbling beneath him as he wound his way along the roads that lead to your shared home. He’d sent a quick text to you before he left, telling you to order dinner so the two of you could relax together. Good food, a glass of wine, and the most amazing wife that he could ever ask for sounded like a perfect night to him. Now if he could ignore the clawing thoughts that came with work that would be even better. Laswell knew better than to call him unless it was an absolute emergency that he needed to attend to.

The light was on outside as he pulled into the driveway, parking the bike and waiting until it was settled to step off. The sound of music echoed through the partially opened window, the sound of your voice following along with the lyrics. John snickered to himself, it was definitely a song from your younger years, it was definitely a 90’s boyband. If you were letting loose, what would he walk into? Shaking off his shoulders he headed into the house, locking the door behind him before slipping off his boots.

“Baby!” You ran over, throwing your arms around his neck in a tight embrace.

“Hello to you too, having a party without me?” John’s arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you flush to his body.

“Never, can’t have a party without the man of the hour.” You pressed a light kiss to his lips, giggling as he tried to pull you back for more.

The two of you laughed happily, dancing together until the doorbell rang loudly, letting you know your dinner had arrived. You had mentioned a movie you’d wanted to see earlier that week, talking about how scary it was from your friends. John could handle some little movie no problem at all, everything about it was fake anyway.

“Alright, got our food, drinks, time to turn on the movie.” You wiggled into your seat, pressing play on the remote before digging in to your food.

The movie, for lack of a better word, was absolutely terrible. It was sort of a tradition in your home that during October you would watch corny horror movies whenever John was home. It was something you’d been adamant on, refusing to let the tradition die out. Of course you’d watch the classic horror movies to help break up the monotony of the bad ones. John had insisted you watch The Thing recently, until you remembered the kennel scene. Watching poor animals, even fake ones, get hurt always makes you upset.

“What do we watch next? We’ve got a few days before the party, and you don’t need to go back until after.” You popped a few pieces of popcorn into your mouth, chewing slowly so you didn’t get any kernels stuck between your teeth.

John pondered for a brief moment, he’d loved watching the classics, but maybe something new could be better? No, something from the 90’s maybe.

“What about Candyman?” It was one of your favorites, having grown up as a horror fan you clung onto the infamous movie.

“A man after my own heart.” You giggled and grabbed your remote to turn the movie on. 

The only light in your living room, besides the TV of course, were the string lights you’d hung up in the middle of September. You’d claimed it would help give ambience to the movie watching experience, and John definitely had to admit that it had. It gave off an eerie vibe that he couldn’t quite place, but given that it was Halloween he wasn’t going to complain.

You could practically recite the movie, the way Tony Todd portrayed the character of Candyman so well never ceased to amaze you. You’d wanted to have a career in film making, but given that the industry was one of the hardest to get into, your dreams were crushed. 

You wouldn’t have met John had you followed your dreams.

You hummed softly, it was true, had you followed your heart you would have never met your husband. Sure you probably would’ve met someone in Hollywood, but it wouldn’t have been the same.

“Wait, what are you wearing for Halloween?” You glanced over at your husband.

“I’ve got a pair of overalls I’m gonna grease up. Go dressed as a mechanic.” John was nothing short of efficient. He’d found them one day after going through his clothes and tossing out anything that was either too old, or had holes to be thrown away.

“Hmm, that works.” You turned and put your attention back onto the movie on your screen.

You and Johnny would be matching, while Simon and Kyle would technically be matching. It had started as a joke but after discussing it, you had all agreed and the plans were set in stone. The costumes arrived a few weeks after you’d ordered them, the boys all paying you back right away. John of course had no idea what you were wearing, and you weren’t going to tell him until the very night of. It was going to be quite the surprise, you couldn’t wait for him to see.

Halloween

You were pulling on your undergarments, not wanting to spoil any surprises your husband might find later before quickly pulling on your dress. You’d been tempted to order a wig to truly match but you didn’t want to risk it. Instead you fixed up your hair, placing the headband before pulling on a pair of pantyhose. After a quick glance in the mirror you were happy with your look, pulling on the shoes and heading down to the living room. The boys had all crammed into your home, each of them taking their respective costumes to go and change. John had run to the store to get one final bag of candy, promising he’d be back in time to head to the party.

Kyle walked out in his amazing glory, the fluffy coat showing off his amazing physique.

“I have to admit, you make an amazing Ken.” You snickered and twirled your finger, telling him to give you a full view.

The costume was perfect, down to the headband and sunglasses he’d managed to find last minute. It was the only thing missing out of his entire get up.

“What can I say? I was born to be a total stud.” He smirked before bursting into laughter, both of you righting yourselves as Johnny walked out.

“I forgot how much I hated wearing boots sometimes.” Johnny muttered to himself.

The two of you had dressed as Velma and Daphne, Johnny had offered to be Velma since he was already a natural brunette. You weren’t going to argue with the man, the dress gave your husband even easier access.

“If you can tuck the bottom of the sweater under itself, it’ll look better.” You walked over and helped him adjust the dark orange sweater, brushing down the fabric of his skirt.

“Bettah?” Johnny glanced at you, hoping you could head out soon.

“Much.” You smiled and stepped back from him.

Before any of you could say anything else Simon walked out of the guest bathroom, the hot pink outfit causing all of your jaws to drop open. How Kyle had convinced him to dress up as cowboy Barbie you weren’t entirely sure, but god did he look fantastic.

“I have to admit, you look fucking hot right now.” Your eyes were wide, hands reaching up to mess with the green scarf wrapped around your neck.

“Thanks, this is all Kyle’s idea.” Simon tossed his bag down beside the couch.

“I’m not complaining, those pants are doing so much for your ass right now.” Your cheeks heated up before you caught the way Johnny was also eyeing him. At least you weren’t alone.

The sound of the front door opening suddenly caught your attention, your husband made it home with a few minutes to spare. Such a procrastinator that one was, now you’d be rushing out the door to get to the party.

“Sorry! Nearly got into a fight with someone who almost hit me on the way home. I just need to get dressed.” John dropped the candy into the large bowl, turning to face the rest of you.

His eyes landed on Simon first, a slight brow raised before he saw Kyle, followed by Johnny, and then lastly you. 

“Don’t tell me. Kyle and Simon are Barbie and Ken, and you two are Daphne and Velma?” John snickered as he slipped off his shoes quickly.

“Good job, now go get dressed so we can leave!” You all but pushed your husband towards your bedroom.

You could discuss the costumes later when you were actually where you needed to be for the night, right now was not the time. The plus side is that you were within walking distance of the party, the downside was that you were definitely going to be late. 

“Jeez, your arms look even bigger.” Kyle blurted out as Simon flexed his arms. Johnny was practically drooling at the sight.

“Alright, you guys head outside and I’ll see what’s taking John so long.” You waited until they’d all left, mainly to make sure poor Johnny didn’t pass out.

Shaking your head you made your way down to your bedroom, pushing the door open slowly so you didn’t startle him.

“Hey hun, are you…” You trailed off as you saw your husband, the white tank top he’d dirtied and greased up showed off the sleeves of tattoos as well as his back piece beautifully.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, let’s go hun.” John spritzed a couple sprays of cologne before heading over to you.

You watched the way his muscles ripped beneath the fabric, eyes glancing down to his legs beneath the coveralls. The arms over his coveralls were wrapped around his waist, giving him the look of being an actual mechanic. Jesus you weren’t going to be able to keep your hands off of him at this rate.

“I’ll have to remember to have someone take a photo of us when we get there.” You grabbed your wristlet and headed out of the house with John.

The other three, that were locked in a heated discussion, all fell silent as they saw their captain in a tank top. 

“Holy shit, you’re covered in tattoos?!” Kyle was floored, he’d recently found out his captain rode motorcycles, but seeing this? This was all new.

“Oh, yeah, I’ve had these for years.” John merely shrugged, wrapping an arm around your waist as you all made the short walk to Kate’s house.

The music was loud enough that you could hear it outside, but it was clear that everyone was still able to have conversations. Kyle, Simon, and Johnny all took off the moment you got inside with John, causing you to roll your eyes. You just wanted one photo to at least remember the night, the costumes looked so good too!

“I’ll make sure they take a photo before we head home tonight, promise.” John pressed a kiss to your hair, leading you further into the party.

“Thank you.” You smiled as you leaned against him, avoiding any of the grease that could ruin your dress.

The party was lively, everyone complimenting your costume as well as John’s even asking a few questions about his tattoos. John was proud of the work he’d had done, especially the back piece he’d sat through over five sessions for. You loved when John got the recognition he deserved. The man was downright gorgeous, and you were reveling in the fact that he’d chosen you out of everyone.

The hours flew by, the drinks flowing through your system before John cut you off. He wasn’t going to risk getting you drunk like last time. You’d taken photos with all of your friends, giggling at the couples costume that Farah and Alex had done. He’d dressed up as a dinosaur while she was dressed like a handler. Everyone took photos with John, claiming they wanted to show off the tattoos he had and see if they could get something half as good. You knew better, it was only because of how gorgeous your husband was. You weren’t blind, even in regular clothes John was the most attractive man you’d ever met.

“Hey, why don’t I take you home? It’s getting late anyway.” John could see the way your eyes were drooping closed, exhaustion seeping into your bones.

“We gotta round up the boys too.” You’d offered up the spare bedrooms so they didn’t have to worry about driving home so late at night.

“Already did, sweetheart, so let’s go.” John scooped you up into his arms, saying goodbyes to everyone before making your way out of the house.

Your eyes slowly slipped closed as you rested against his chest, your feet sore from standing in the kitten heels for the last five hours. John didn’t so much as complain as he carried you to your shared home, opening the door to let everyone inside. Johnny didn’t hesitate to rip off his boots, tossing them aside before ripping off the sweater. John raised a brow at the younger man, watching as he hurriedly picked up his discarded items.

“Sorry, sir.” Johnny wasn’t going to let them lie around, would never do so in someone else’s home, but getting to strip down was his only thought.

“Just clean up, that's all I ask.” John turned and headed up to your bedroom, laying you on the plush mattress before turning to change into his own pajamas.

Your soft snores filled the air, chest rising and falling slowly as you slept peacefully on your bed. John chuckled and finished getting changed, turning to help you out of your own clothes. His eyes widened as he realized you had gotten new lingerie, jaw dropping open. He’d talk to you about it tomorrow, right now you were exhausted and needed some sleep.

After grabbing one of his more oversized shirts he helped ease you into the fabric, pulling off your headband and setting everything onto the dresser. You hadn’t so much as flinched the entire time, assuring John that you were completely asleep. He headed down to the living room, making sure the other three were settled before turning off the lights. It was fun getting to see everyone dressed up, simply enjoying themselves with good company.

“Thank you, for being the best thing I could ever ask for.” John crawled into bed beside you, pulling you flush to his chest.

You murmured softly in your sleep, wrapping your arms around his waist. There were definitely some things that the two of you needed to talk about. 

Those could wait, for now he would simply hold you and enjoy himself.

tagging: @gaylemonshark @thesinsoflust @dante-mightdie @mh073099

[sjsmith56]

The Trap, Chapter 23 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: While Lacey and the Barton’s deal with the discovery she’s been tracked to the farm, Bucky and the Wakandans realize the auction is a trap.

Length: 4.7 K

Characters: Almost everyone.

Warnings: Violence causing injury.

Author notes: More heroic Bucky (I find it hot 🔥).

<<Chapter 22

🏰 🌓

Barton's Farm

As soon as Lacey and Terry walked through the portal onto Clint's farm, she and Tommy ran to each other with their arms outstretched. He almost bowled her over when he hugged her. There were several minutes of crying and kissing they both had to get through before they could speak.

"I wanted to hurt that tattooed man who took you," said Tommy to his mother. "I could tell he was bad just by how he looked at you."

"He didn't hurt me," replied Lacey, "but he turned me over to a man and a woman so they could sell me. Your Dad and another man rescued me."

"He rescued me, too," stated Tommy. "We made up. Did you make up with him?"

"Yeah, I made up with him," she answered, with a big smile. "We worked it out. When he's finished his mission, he'll come here."

"He's an Avenger, Mom," boasted the boy. "My Dad is an Avenger."

She hugged him. For so long he had only known Bucky via her phone, then they both had to live with sorrow when they thought he was dead. Now he was one of a group of heroes and she could see the pride in Tommy's face as he talked about his dad.

Standing up with her arm around Tommy's shoulders she looked at the farm, remembering much of it. Clint and Laura strode up to them and she hugged them both.

"Thank you for looking after him," she said emotionally. "I'm still short of a few memories and they come back at the weirdest times so if I laugh or cry out of turn, you'll know why."

"What about you and Bucky?" asked Clint. "Have you made up?"

Lacey smiled remembering the previous two days. "Yeah, we made up," she repeated, then put her arm around Tommy. "He said we're getting married as soon as we can."

"I'd like to walk you down the aisle then," said Clint.

"Laura, would you be my matron of honour?" asked Lacey. "I'm not even sure when we're going to do it but you were my closest girl friend for a long time. That I do remember."

"It would be my honour," said Laura. "Come on in ... you too, Terry, and have something to eat."

They all went inside where over breakfast Lacey told them everything that happened from when her memory was taken from her through to her old memories returning and the rescue at the airfield. Clint told her about the mission in Madripoor and how Bucky had taken a leadership role in planning the rescue and destruction of the lab.

"Why did that Sharon woman sell me?" asked Lacey. "It was like she hated me from the moment she saw me."

Clint looked at Tommy, not sure if he should say in front of him but the boy looked at his mother and put his hand on hers. "She was jealous of you, Mom," he said. "She had a thing for Dad, and he wouldn't even look at her that way. I heard some of her guards talking about it and laughing that he loved you over her."

"It's true," said Clint. "The scientist she found to recreate the serum said her goal was to remove Bucky's memories and reprogram him to be her lover and chief of security. He was to be in charge of a team of super soldiers that answered to her. She tested the memory machine on you but only once, thinking it was enough. The man she sold you to, Sergei Dendrov? He's one of the men who came looking for the flash drive at your house when you first met Bucky. It's likely he killed your brother Tom, as well."

"Terry said Tom was dead," replied Lacey. "I guess I have to wait for all the memories of that time to return. I do remember that man looking at me in the car like I was ... nothing, then driving to an airfield near New York and giving me to another man and woman. They spoke another language the whole time which I realized at some point in the flight was Russian. That's when my memories began returning. If they hadn't, what would they have done with me?"

Clint shrugged. "You were a blank slate," he said. "I'm guessing you would have been trained to become an assassin. That auction they were flying you to is a high level affair apparently. If Bucky and the Wakandans are successful at infiltrating it they could put a serious dent into several traffickers, not just the ones that had you."

Lacey nodded her head soberly. It had been a brief glimpse into a sordid world for her, one that almost swallowed her up. Perhaps it was something that she could write about in a future book. She smiled, realizing she just remembered she was a writer. Another memory rebuilding in her mind. She looked at her brother, still getting used to seeing him as an adult, then at her son. He had his own experiences that would need dealing with but she was sure Bucky could help him with that once he returned. She wondered if Bucky and the Wakandans had started the final part of their mission yet.

"Just come back to us," she thought, sending her wish to Bucky.

She rubbed her hands over her arms, feeling a little chill suddenly. There was a bump on her left tricep and she felt it closely, not recalling how she got it at first. It must have shown on her face as Clint looked at her with some concern.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing, I hope," she replied, then she turned her arm to him. "Can you see a bump here on my tricep? I don't recall having it before."

Clint looked closely at it and ran his fingertip over it. It was hard, about the size of a grain of rice, and it looked like there was a small puncture wound at one end of it. Quickly he went to a cupboard in the kitchen and pulled out the first aid kit.

"Laura, get some rubbing alcohol," he said. "Clean all around that bump." He pulled a razor out of the first aid kit and poured the rubbing alcohol over it then held it over Lacey's arm. "Take a deep breath. This might hurt a little."

Gently he sliced open the skin over the bump. Laura doused some forceps with the rubbing alcohol and handed them to Clint. As Lacey took another deep breath he inserted the forceps into the cut and grasped the bump pulling it out, revealing it to be a small electronic device. Carefully he looked at it then dropped it on the floor and smashed it with his heel while Laura put a bandage on Lacey's arm.

"We have to get out of here," he said suddenly. "Where are the kids?"

"The boys are at the treehouse," said Laura. "Lila's upstairs. Clint, what was that?"

"A tracking device," he said, looking intently at Lacey. "You don't remember them putting it in your arm?"

Her face was shocked, and she racked her brains trying to think when they could have done it. "The man on the jet injected me with something before we landed," she cried. "I thought it was something to knock me out, but it didn't."

"He injected you with a tracker, probably to lead them to Tommy," said Clint. "It was a setup. I have to get the boys."

"Let me go," offered Tommy. "I'm faster than you, Uncle Clint. I can get there and bring them back."

Clint hesitated for a moment. "Go," he ordered Tommy who took off as fast as he could. "Terry, come out to the barn with me. I have weapons there."

"What about the protection spell?" he asked as he ran to the barn with Clint. "It's what gave us enough time to escape when they came for Lacey and Tommy before."

"No, it's not on anymore," said Clint. "Once I was back I told them I could handle it. We can try texting Wong but I'm guessing the traffickers will be here within minutes."

They went into Clint's workshop, and he pressed a button, opening a secret room that Terry never knew existed the whole time they were living on the farm during the Blip. Clint pulled out several handguns and magazines to fit, handing them to Terry. Then he pulled out his bow and a quiver of arrows. Pressing the button to close the room they ran back to the house at the same time as Tommy showed up carrying Nathaniel on his back, with Cooper trying to keep up. Clint pulled Cooper inside where Laura had already closed all the windows and with Lila's and Lacey's help moved heavy furniture in front of them to keep anyone from coming in.

"I called Fury," she said. "They're under attack but will send help as soon as they can. They're also sending backup to the chateau in France where the auction is." She looked grimly at Clint and Terry. "They think it was all a trap to lure Bucky in. The leader of the trafficking cartel has been identified as Viktor Orlov, former KGB General and former HYDRA."

Only the presence of his children kept Clint from swearing. He looked at his three and then at Tommy. "Get into the storm cellar below the stairs," he said. "I want you down there while we handle the intruders up here."

"Uncle Clint, I can help," offered Tommy. "I know how to fight."

"I know son," replied Clint, smiling fondly at the boy. "But your Dad would want me to make sure you're safe. If they get to us up here, you'll have your chance, but I hope it doesn't come to that. Now get down there and stay quiet."

Clint looked at Lacey, unsure if she was strong enough in her current state to handle a gun. With a steely look she picked up a handgun, loaded a magazine into it and grabbed two more magazines.

"Where do you want me?" she asked.

They built a barricade of more furniture and all of them got into it except Clint who had kept part of one window open so he could see outside. They waited and within minutes several vehicles pulled up well away from the house. Each vehicle held four people, male and female, all of them fully armed. Clint looked back at Laura, meeting her eyes with his. They smiled at each other then he nodded his head, notched an arrow into his bow and let it fly through the open window to the closest vehicle, blowing it up and knocking several of the intruders onto their backs. Without hesitation he did the same to the next vehicle, taking out more of the intruders at the same time. The others got smart at that point and split up, surrounding the house before opening fire and driving all of them to take cover inside. They could see several people come up onto the porch and break the windows from the outside, trying to push the heavy furniture out of the way. Terry went to one of the windows and with his handgun shot wildly from a small opening before hitting the floor. He knew he hit several people as he heard their bodies hitting the porch deck. Changing to another window he did the same but Clint told him to get back to the barricade before he got shot. Reluctantly he climbed back over the furniture and took his place.

"Man of the house!" yelled a person from outside with a Russian accent. "Give us the boy and we'll leave you alone. Surely the life of your own children and your wife is worth one small boy."

Clint looked at Lacey and Terry. "Not happening," he yelled firmly. "You leave and you'll get to live."

Those outside opened up again and fired incessantly on the house. Several shots made their way inside, hitting the opposite walls. Then a flash bang landed indoors and went off, stunning all of them. As they coughed and tried to get their senses back they heard the sound of one of the pieces of heavy furniture being moved and footsteps entering the house. All of them looked up to see several high powered assault rifles aimed at them.

"Checkmate," said the same voice that had yelled from outside. "Drop your weapons."

"Drop yours," said a voice from the stairs and Wong sent an energy pulse through all of the armed intruders causing them to collapse. He turned to look at Clint. "Sorry, we're late. We had to deal with the attack on the compound before we came here. It appears they hoped to take us all down at the same time."

Clint went over to the intruders and pulled their guns away from them. Then he went to the storm cellar door and opened it. The kids looked up the stairs at him and he motioned for them to come up. Nathaniel came up first and hugged his parents, followed by Tommy, who hugged Lacey and Terry. Clint then went to where the intruders had entered and saw the rest of them under guard of several MPs. He turned back to Wong.

"What about Bucky and the Wakandans?" he asked. "Was it really a trap?"

Wong grimaced in his understated way. "Yes, but I don't know how it's been resolved," he replied. "We did send reinforcements, but no one has reported back yet."

Chateau Louis XIV, Provence

The convoy of three Audi sedans pulled up to the gates of the chateau. The first vehicle with Everett Ross at the wheel was approached by a man with an iPad. Behind him, another man with a machine gun watched impassively as the occupants of the vehicles were checked in.

"Buyer's code 7398," said Ross, in French.

"Lower the back seat windows for visual verification, please," replied the man with the iPad in accented English. "Your French is terrible."

Ross shrugged and lowered the windows. In the back Bucky and Ayo sat, both of them wearing nano masks. The man looked at them carefully, comparing their faces to the information on his iPad. He nodded his approval then went to the second vehicle and did the same for the King's Guard driver, and for a member of the King's Guard, Themba and Nomble, acting as buyer's assistants and also fitted with nano masks. The third vehicle with Yama alone as driver to transport their purchases after the auction also passed scrutiny. The man went back to the first vehicle.

"You will park where directed," he informed Ross. "Drivers are to stay in the vicinity of their vehicles. Buyers are to proceed inside where they will be directed to the salon for refreshments."

He stood back and pressed his comms piece saying buyers code 7398 had just arrived. The gates opened and Ross led the convoy inside, dropping off Bucky and Ayo at the entrance before following the parking attendant to his designated parking spot. He got out of his vehicle and watched as the other two vehicles were parked next to him. He scratched his ear then gently touched his comms piece.

"We're in," he said quietly, then pulled a cigarette package out of his pocket and lit a cigarette, blowing smoke out forcefully.

Inside the four undercover operatives approached another check-in station, this one armed with a metal detector. Bucky waited until the other three were with him then addressed the woman at the computer with perfect French.

"Buyer's code 7398," he said, perfunctorily, then waited as if he was bored.

He looked around him, taking in the rich surroundings, while also assessing the security. Holding on to his arm possessively Ayo, who had assumed the persona of a very well-kept woman, also looked around although she often looked up at Bucky adoringly. Behind him, Themba and Nomble assumed the persona of buyer's assistants, waiting to be directed by their boss. The woman at the check-in looked at something and her face underwent a subtle change which Bucky noticed.

"Is there a problem?" he asked in French.

"No, monsieur," she replied. "Our host has requested a private meeting with you, but he hasn't arrived yet. It's most unusual."

"May we go to the viewing salon while we wait?" he asked with a sense of exasperation. "I did want an opportunity to view the merchandise before the auction."

"Certainly," she replied. "There is no problem with you attending the pre-auction viewing. Marcel will escort you and your entourage there. When General Orlov arrives, you will be summoned."

Bucky bowed his head slightly, while searching his memories for an Orlov in his past. The only one he could think of was Viktor Orlov who had been part of the KGB, then HYDRA while he was still the Winter Soldier. The last he heard the man had been taken down by SHIELD. As they were escorted to the viewing salon Bucky pressed a button on his watch which would render his vibranium arm invisible to the metal detector. The others had a similar button on their jewelry which hid their spears and metallic weapons. He noticed there were only guards in attendance in the viewing salon. He looked at Ayo and she whispered to him.

"Trap?" she asked.

He nodded, then looked at the two behind him who had also become more alert, noticing the same things he did. Themba tilted his head and Bucky nodded once. Then he turned to look at the dozen people up for sale in the auction, each one in their own windowed cell. They all looked terrified. Slowly he walked towards the left, closer to the final cell where an armed guard stood. He glanced to his right noticing Ayo, Themba and Nomble were spread out to the right. Leaning forward to look at the supposed abilities and possibilities with the person on display he pulled out a set of glasses, as if he was having trouble reading something.

"Tell me," he glanced at the guard, speaking in French, "what does this mean? What are they flexible in?"

The guard smirked and answered in English. "This must be your first time at one of our auctions," he replied smugly, letting his guard down slightly. "Physically flexible as in you can bend them any which way but not break them."

"That's what I thought," replied Bucky, in English. "Thank you."

Grabbing the man's firearm, he shoved it into his face while simultaneously lifting him and throwing him against the wall knocking him out immediately. Behind him Ayo and Nomble had extended their spears which had been in their clutch purses in a retracted state. Both attacked the guards nearest them while Themba attacked the guard nearest to him in much the same manner as Bucky. His guard fought back and Themba found it necessary to run up the man's body, wrap his legs around his throat and squeeze until the man fell unconscious. The people on display were all on their knees pounding on the glass. Bucky could hear them calling for help even though the glass was soundproof. His superior hearing could hear their faint but frantic calls. Taking one of the guns he aimed at the top of one of the windowed panels shooting a short burst, but it was bullet proof glass. One of them, a young woman pointed at the panel below her window, and he pried it off with a nod. He looked up at her and she yelled which wires to cross. He pulled out two of them and touched their metallic ends together. A small click sounded and the panel on her window raised. Bucky offered her his hand as she scrambled out. Then he pulled his nano mask off.

"Red wire and blue wire," he said to the others as they pulled off the rest of the panels.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. "There's a dozen more in another salon. I was employed here as a server until one of the women on sale killed herself by breaking her food plate and cutting her own throat. They made me take her place. I swear I didn't realize it was human trafficking. We were told they were psychiatric inmates, members of wealthy families."

"Can you get us in there?" asked Bucky, pointing to the entrance to the next salon. She nodded and he turned to the other people they had just freed. "Grab a gun. We've walked into a trap and the only way out is to fight." He pressed his comms and heard nothing. "They've blocked our comms. Hopefully those outside have realized this and are calling in the cavalry."

The others took what firearms they could from the four guards and Bucky directed them to follow him and the young woman.

"What's your name?" he asked as they made their way to a doorway that she said led to the next salon.

"Raina," she replied, then choked back a sob. "They were going to sell me to the highest bidder, weren't they?"

"Yep," he answered. "You might have been lured here for the server job but I'm guessing by how attractive you are they always intended for you to be part of the auction."

"Fuck," she muttered. "How do you know this?"

"They took my girlfriend," he replied. "Wiped her memory then when it started to return they were going to kill her. We hacked into their computer system and found out where they were going to drop her off. You were already in the catalogue. I'm guessing they let us hack them so they could lure us here. The four of us are pretty valuable as possible slaves."

They came to the closed doorway and the Wakandans moved up to be next to Bucky. Ayo looked at him.

"White Wolf," she said solemnly. "Us three are expendable but they must never get you. There are likely more armed guards in there. Let us three take the room."

"No one is expendable, Ayo," he said, focusing on her. "I am faster than any of you. I can take them all out before you even get in the door. If I die in the process, you just get the others out of their cells and get the hell out of here. Tell Lacey and Tommy, I love them."

Before she could say anything Bucky raised his firearm and ran through the door. They watched in amazement as he went from guard to guard, firing first then punching, throwing and kicking them into submission. A couple of the guards did manage to get some rounds off which hit him but he never stopped until he had all of the guards down on the floor. Slowly he turned, making sure all the guards were down, and Ayo was relieved to see his bullet wounds were not in a critical area. He went to the nearest panel, pulling it off and opening their doors. She and the others did the same. One of the people on display came down and stood in front of Bucky. A man in his mid-40s, he looked at Bucky with recognition.

"You did get away," he said with admiration. "Thank you Soldat for my freedom."

Bucky looked at him and put his hand on the man's shirt front, dragging him close to his face. "I am no longer the Winter Soldier," he declared. "I am James Bucky Barnes and as much as I hate that you were part of HYDRA you are part of my efforts to make amends."

"I am Hans Meyer," replied the man quickly. "I went straight after HYDRA fell and refused to be their tool anymore. I went into legitimate medical research. But Viktor Orlov found me, kidnapped me, and put me up for sale. This is his doing."

He gestured at the environment around them, and Bucky released him. "Then we both better get out of here before Orlov arrives," said Bucky. Turning to the others he noticed that the remaining captives had armed themselves and he gestured back to the doorway which led to the rest of the chateau. "Anyone know if there's another way out that doesn't involve the main entry?"

Raina put up her hand. "Servers have a door to the kitchen and there's a door to the outside there," she replied. "The only problem is you need a special bracelet to open the door and they took mine."

She showed them to the door that led to the kitchen and Bucky looked closely at it. He fired a long burst at its hinges then kicked it. The frame cracked and he kicked it again, dislodging the door. Several of the young men grabbed it and pulled it away. Leading them into the kitchen, which was empty, Bucky took the point position, making sure there were no surprise guards. They made it to the outside door and Bucky turned the handle determining it was unlocked. The others started crowding towards it to get out but Bucky and the Wakandans blocked their way. The four warriors were all suspicious at the ease of their escape.

"It's too easy," said Bucky, looking back at Raina. "Tell me the truth, were you really on display for the auction or were you put there to make sure we all came out of this door?"

Her face coloured and she became defensive. "I told you what happened," she protested.

Another who had been in the second room looked closely at her. "I saw you," she said, grabbing Raina's arm. "You were flirting with a guard while I was being locked in my cell. That wasn't even an hour ago."

Bucky shook his head at Raina then grabbed her and shoved her out of the door before closing it and locking it from the inside. They watched through a window as all sorts of floodlights came on and she raised her hands screaming that she was one of them. She ran forward then fell after a single gunshot and Bucky saw two guards run to her, dragging her away.

"Well, shit," he said and turned to Ayo. "Suggestions?"

She looked at him with her usual no nonsense attitude. "We post a guard on this door and the one to the salon," she said. "I take care of your bullet wounds while we come up with a way to destroy this chateau and get everyone out alive."

"Destroy it?" repeated Bucky. "We're still in it, Ayo. I don't think any of us wants this building falling on us while we're trapped in the kitchen."

Ayo looked up to a corner of the room and he followed her gaze with his eyes noticing an active security camera. He looked back at her quickly then raised his gun and shot at the camera until he destroyed it.

"This was never about the auction of slaves," she said firmly. "You were the auction. They were the bait to bring you here. I am guessing we were allowed to hack into their computer to lure you here and see you in action. First when you rescued Lacey and then when you led this rescue. Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to set this up. They aren't going to let you destroy the building with you still in it. The rest of us are expendable, to them."

Bucky swore and wondered how long it would be before he could finally remove every remaining HYDRA agent or cell from the face of the Earth. He would never return to them willingly and he sure as hell wouldn't let them get Tommy. They would have to begin brainstorming how to get out of the chateau and how to stop them permanently.

Chapter 24>>

Series Masterlist

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[rainbowmess823]

Part 3

----

Jonathan: So how'd your really get those?

Robin: Band camp, got dared to juggle these knives from the cafeteria, totally did it but when this drunk senior said he could do it better. BAM. Late hospital trip.

Jonathan: And the tattoo?

Robin: Interned at a tattoo parlor the summer before scoops, this is my farewell gift.

Jonathan: Truth?

Robin: Truth.

Jonathan: You're telling me this and not Steve, why?

Robin: Bcos I think this is the start of a very good friendship, Byers. I can give you a tattoo on your shoulder and we can mess with everyone.

Jonathan: *grins*....deal!

---

Steve: WHAT THE HELL, BYERS?!

Jonathan: What?

Steve: WHEN DID YOU GET A TATTOO?

Jonathan: What? I've always had this.

Steve: A--is that a fox skull tattoo?!

Jonathan: I've always had this, what are you talking about?

Robin: Yeah, Dingus! How self-involved are you?

Steve: Wha--?!

---

Dustin: Whoa, woah! Jonathan is that a fox skull? On your NECK?

Will: Fox skull?

Lucas: Neck?

Max: No way!

Dustin: *leans closer* YOU DO HAVE A FOX SKULL TATTOO ON YOUR NECK!

Max: No way!

El: You also have a tattoo?

Will: *confused little brother noises*

Jonathan: Well yeah, this thing is old and yes, El, I have a tattoo too! We're tattoo buds!

El: *happy but slightly confused noises*

Lucas: When did you even get that tattoo?

Will: How have I not even noticed that tattoo?

---

Steve: *is visibly distressed*

Eddie: Stevie, you alright there?

Nancy: Yeah, you look like someone told you Santa doesn't exist.

Steve: Did you guys know about Jon's tattoo?

Nancy: What? He doesn't have a tattoo.

Steve: YES HE DOES!

Eddie: Ok walk us through this hon, waaaalk us through this.

Steve: Jon came into Family Video to rent a movie and Rob was talking about Lost Boys when I saw it! RIGHT THERE ON HIS NECK!

Nancy: A tattoo?

Steve: A TATTOO! But not any tattoo noooo no noooo, a fox skull tattoo!

Eddie: A new tattoo, maybe?

Dustin: *walks in with the rest of the kids* Nancy, when the hell were you gonna tell us Jonathan had a tattoo for years?! Didn't you guys date? Was this a couple's thing???

Eddie: Maybe not.

Nancy: In my defense, this is the first time I'm hearing about this. I never saw a tattoo.

Max: It was this wicked fox skull!

Steve: SEE!

---

Robin: I bet Dustin is just hounding Nancy about your new "old tattoo".

Jonathan: For sure, he and Steve are probably hounding her about it. You did a great job on it, Robin.

Robin: You knoooow, we should get piercings to match.

Jonathan: You're gonna need something stronger than Lost Boys to get me willingly stabbed through for some metal to be attached to my face.

Robin: How about I take Will and El for the rest of the week so you can finally go on uninterrupted date nights, plural, with Argyle at the quarry? *holds her hand out with a grin*

Jonathan: Add a cover-for-me card that applies to my mom, Hop, and the kids and consider telling Nancy you have a crush on her.

Robin: Hard bargain, Byers. Well played...You got a deal.

Jonathan: *shakes her hand* Glad doing business with you, Buckley. *grins*

----

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8

[midnghtprentiss]

i want you - robin buckley

a/n: had this idea and now i'm obscessed.

summary: pretending to be your ex grilfriend fake fiancé couldn't go any better.

pronouns used: she/her - no physical descriptions

warnings: exes to lovers, fake dating troupe, modern!robin, 5sos and taylor swift quotes (sorry i'm crazy), very fluff.

you can see more of my work here!

made a playlist for this because i am romantic today.

There was a different energy in the morning when Robin woke up. She was nervous because she remembers exactly why the air was different. She has to talk to you. She lies to everyone saying you two got back together and are engaged. She has to talk to her ex because of a lie that could be ignored if she thinks about things. 

She told her family you two got back together and are planning a wedding. Your wedding. After her mother asked what was going on in her love life all she could think was you. 

"We got back together a few months ago, but we decided to keep it a secret, now we are engaged!" 

"Delightful! Let me know if she needs help with the plans!"

Now she was standing outside your house, shaking from the rain. Almost like a sign from heaven for her to go home. 

"Robin Buckley I swear to God you are a dead woman! You told your mom we are engaged? We broke up 5 years ago and you came with that?"

"Look, I'm so sorry but I can explain, please let me do that?"

You let her in, closing the door behind as you wait for her to speak. She was overwhelmed by the smell of your house and how familiar the scent of vanilla and light strawberry made her heart ache. 

"My mom was asking a lot of questions to my siblings and I kinda lost it and said we were back together and engaged. I'm sorry, alright!"

"Robin, you have a whole career, a successful one! You don't need me to help you with that, for God's sake." 

You two broke up five years ago because you wanted something but Robin wasn't ready to be a part of that. You wanted children, she didn't. You wanted to live in the uptown, she didn't. You wanted to get married, she didn't. Funny how the tables turn, right? 

But the truth is, Robin never stopped thinking about you and everyday for the last five years all she ever thought about was you. All of the songs she wrote were about you. After the break up you two decided to be friends and it was pretty cool but weird at the same time. 

"We can keep that lie for a few months and then we split up. Don't make me pass this humiliation, please." 

You knew how much this was a huge deal for her. Her family doesn't accept her entirely and when she was with you things were easier and lighter. 

"Robin, I want to kill you with my bare hands right now. Imagine my surprise when your mom called to congratulate me and I have no idea why. But fine, I'll do it. You have three months to make this shit end." 

Now Robin has three months to win you back and she is going to make her life purposeful. 

First month

The first month was a whole different Robin for you. She was nervous just like she was years ago. She pay attention to everything you do and say. And she brought a ring, a fucking ring that was so beautiful that made you mr heart race.

"Robin, are you insane? A ring!"

"How are we going to make people believe in our lie if you don't have a ring?" 

She knew her mom wasn't going to give her a ring, so she saw this one and thought of you. 

You didn't take it off since the day she gave you, kinda stupid for someone that is faking an engagement. 

Robin was investing in romance this time. She sent you flowers while you were working, and sent you gifts with notes. 

"Excuse me, you have something." Your colleague Jenna calls you in your office. 

When you see the flowers your cheeks warm up really fast. Damn it, Robin Buckley and her romantic mind.

The note between the flowers made your heart melt.

"To the woman whose lipstick stain is a work of art, I will tattoo your name in an arrow heart and now I'm so down - yes I am quoting 5 seconds of summer because you like. 

Robin :)" 

When you go back to your office all you have was a message from her.

"Did you like the flowers ? I thought of you when I saw them. :)"

"I love it! You didn't have to. Thank you." 

In the evening you and Robin attend a dinner with your friends. Nancy was going to introduce her twins to the group. You told her about this whole situation with Robin and all she said was "You're going back to her.". 

"Hello! I'm so happy you came! Come in." Jonathan welcomes you with a warm hug. 

"Tell me where the babies are." He laughs at you and shows the way till the living room where Nancy was holding them. 

"Oh my god! You have two babies, Nance!" You sit down with her holding one baby with a big smile. 

Robin watched everything with a warm chest. She was so hypnotized with the scene that if someone interrupts she is able to kill. 

"You're screwed, like a lot." Steve shows up on her side looking at his best friend.

"How do you know?" 

"It's the way you look at her, like she is your whole world. You have two months to have her back." Jonathan whispers and she shakes her head. 

Her eyes were on you the whole time, she watched you hold the baby, whispering to him and giving him light touches. She wants to have this with you so bad that it makes her dizzy. 

The whole dinner was naturally fun and nostalgic from all the old times when you, Robin, Nancy, Steve, Eddie and Jonathan go out to talk shit and laugh. 

The drive home was nice, it was silent and nice. Robin was almost dying to put a hand in your leg or to make you laugh like you did earlier that night. 

"Did you have a good time?" She asked and you nod.

"Oh yeah and I think I have a lot of wine too." She giggles at your answer and you smile at her with that smile.

"Too much? You are better than this!" You burst out laughing. 

"Hey! I don't eat too much while drinking, you can't blame me, woman."

When she stops in your house you breathe deeper and look at her quickly leaning close to give her a kiss on the cheek. Robin was over the moon with this, her heart was so fast that it almost stopped. 

"Drive safe, ok? Call me when you got home. Goodnight, Rob." 

Second month

The idea of having Robin around romanticly was so natural that you got used to reading her messages in the morning or to sleep in her house more times than you could ever imagine in the last month.

You were falling in love all over again and it sucks so bad because you need to hide this. It was so easy to wake up with her warm body close to yours, the smell of coffee, to get used to her light touches and sweet kisses on your forehead or cheek. 

One night this changed. She was in your house to have dinner and watch a movie. You were close on the couch, her arm around you, a glass of wine in the other hand. Honestly, you weren't paying attention but Robin was laughing and that mattered the most. She caught your eyes on her and raised an eyebrow making you blush. 

"Need something, miss?" She asked quietly and you nod. 

"Just looking at ya, can I?" You giggle and she squeezes you. "What is this Robin? We spend so much time together, we sleep together, we kiss, we act like a couple and all that. But you need to tell me what we are because if you are going to leave again that agreement needs to stop right now." 

"I don't know. I like this, the way we are leading is going somewhere and I can't wait to see the end. We act like a couple of girlfriends cause we like each other and that's okay, right?" 

You were looking at her but your head was slower than your acts. The next thing you noticed was her lips on yours and your body going on top of her. Hands all over each other like the world was ending now, in that moment and just you two matter. 

After that day everything changed. You two were so head over hills for each other that was kind of confusing.

"So you two are back together?" Eddie asked and you nod. 

"We don't use names on this, just trying again to see where this is going." 

"I'm happy for you. It was more than time for her to make a move." 

"So you and Steve, hm? It was more than time for him to make a move." He blushes and you push him. 

"You're a bitch, you know?" He laughs while you two walk around. 

Robin was getting ready to go out on tour with her band again and it was sad to know you were going to stay apart for a few months. It was a test for her and for you. For her to make sure she doesn't change her mind and for you to not give up in the relationship. 

"You come back for my birthday, right?" You asked again for the tenth time. 

"I could never miss that day." Shehugs you pulling you to a sweet kiss. "I love you. Take care, okay?" 

"I love you too. You take care." You nod before letting her go in the airport.

Third Month

Robin was out for a month now. You missed her so badly that it hurts your whole body, but your birthday was two days away and you knew she was going to be there.

She constantly reminds you that she was going to be there to show all the gifts she brought from her trip across europe. 

The day of your birthday came and you were so excited to finally see your girl but there was something wrong. She didn't call back or answer your texts. 

"She was supposed to be here already, Nance." You whine to your best friend that pet your back.

"She's on her way, hun. Calm down, ok?" She assure you. 

Robin was stuck in the fucking traffic. She was terrified of not showing up on time because she knew how important birthdays are. Now she was screaming and panicking about not showing up on time, so she called Steve. 

"Steve, I'm stuck in traffic about to collapse." 

"Well, she's almost crying over here. What do you want me to say?" 

"Pass the phone for her, please." It took Steve a minute to pass the phone. 

"Robin, why don't you answer the calls or text me back? I'm about to have a mental breakdown" 

"I'm stuck in traffic but I promise I'll be there soon." Robin was crying right now.

"Robin, you're travelling in the morning and we are not gonna have time for each other. You know what? You don't need to come, let it go." You pass the phone to Steve who was petrified looking at you. 

You walk away from the people going to the bathroom. Take a deep breath, one, two, three. One, two, three. There was a knock on the door. You see Eddie's head before he sits down on the floor with you. 

"I'm sorry, ok? She wanted to be here, you know? She 's trying, five year ago Robin wouldn't even travel to see you, or make you laugh or even try to win you back. Gotta say, the engagement story was funny." You laugh quietly resting your head on his shoulder.

"I love her, you know? I thought this idea was so stupid and I said yes, I mean who agrees to fake an engagement with your ex?" You look down at the ring in your finger.

"She's almost here, come on. We bake you a cake, if you are going to cry, at least do this eating cake." He stands up and you do the same cleaning your face. 

The living room was empty except for Robin. Her face was red, she was probably crying just like you. 

"I came on time, just like I promised." You nod coming close to her. 

"Robin…"

"Let me talk, okay? Look, I love you. I always did. Since the day you were introduced to me twelve years ago and there's not a day you are not in my mind, in the words I spoke, the things I do, the songs I write. You are everything I think about, everything I do. You occupied my mind all the fucking time and I mess up once but I'm trying so hard." She sits down next to you. "I never wanted to get married or have children, living a normal life until you. I want to have all of that. I want to be the only living space in your head. I want to tell you that things are gonna be fine, I want to see you singing all of your favorite Taylor Swift songs while cooking and watch you work at night. You are the love of my life and the only one I want." 

You were sobbing at the time she hugged you. Her smell was so intoxicating. You love that woman so much. 

"I love you, Robin. I always did but I was so scared of letting you in and things end up because you are not ready. But how do you know that you're not ready if you don't try? I am here to be your first time in everything you want but can't do this alone. I love waking up with you, and touching you and watching you playing or writing your songs." You look at her with watery eyes. "I fucking love to love you and it's so creppy. And you want to know the creepiest part? I am organizing a wedding and I have no idea what this is!" 

"Are we going to get married?" 

"That wasn't the whole idea of our agreement?" You hold her shirt and lean over her putting your lips together. 

"How do I say no when you kiss me like this?" You laugh pulling her away for a moment. 

That was the moment you realized that Robin Buckley was made for loving you and you were made for loving her.

♡

tagging:

@justlydiasworld

[profound-bouquetbird]

Ooo!!! Could you maybe write a soulmate au where it's the first thing your soulmate says is tattooed on your arm or wrist and maybe have it be Alador or Hunter?

Complete creative liberty I'm just a sucker for soulmate aus 😭

I'm so sorry if I responded to this to late i actually started to write it earlier but my phone turned off and i lost all of my progress and i just lost motivation 😭

But i hope you enjoy this either way

I decided to write for mah luv Hunter, i don't know why i said it like that. The reader uses they/them pronouns

The reader has two mum's cuz why not, even though it's confusing as hell to write

Maybe spoilers for thanks to them? Don't really know, doesn't describe what happened just mentions some parts but not in detail if that makes sense

Oh and i made it so that only the two soulmates can see the words each other's wrists, for everyone else it's just gibberish :)

"Um, hey Luz?" Hunter called out, walking through the hallway of the owl house, his left sleeve rolled up as he scratched his wrist with his left, trying to get something off

"What is it Hunter?" Luz asked as she sat on the couch, arm wrapped around her girlfriend, Amity, with king sitting on her lap

"What's this thing on my arm?" He asked as he sat down next to Luz, showing him his wrist

"oh that must be your soulmates first words!" Luz said, Amity's head got off of Luz's shoulder to see what was happening

"a... Soulmate?" Hunter questioned, he looked at them for help, he didn't know what a soulmate was

"Oh, um a soulmate-"

"A soulmate is a person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural like affinity. This may involve similarity, love, romance, platonic relationships, comfort, intimacy, sexuality, sexual activity, spirituality, compatibility and trust." Amity said, cutting Luz off

"You usually get it at the age of ten if i remember correctly." Luz said as she scratched her chin

"Oh, then why did i get mine now?" He asked a he looked down towards his wrist

"Uhm... I'm guessing the... Things that happened back at the human realm you somehow magically gained a soul?" Amity said, though it sounded like she was questioning herself

"But we're still happy for you." King said trying to change the subject, but failed

"Question, when do i meet my soulmate? And how am i supposed to know their first words?" Hunter questioned

"Well the only way you can meet your soulmate is by time, there is a specific place, time and day where you meet your soulmate, you just don't know when it is. And it's not your soulmates actual first words, it's the first words they say to you." Amity said with a warm smile

"What does it even say on your wrist?" Amity asked as Luz and King lifted thier heads to listen

"It says: 'Oh my Titan, I'm so sorry are you okay?' long sentence but okay." Hunter says

"Oh! Maybe you bump in to them and they apologize! Maybe that's how you meet your soulmate!" Luz proclaimed

"Luz- Hunter just try not to think about it too much, remember there already is a place, time and day chosen." Amity said as she tried to calm down his nerves, but it didn't help

-Meanwhile in the town of Bonesborough---

"Mom! Mother! Guess what!" Y/n yelled as they ran in to the living room of their house, waiving their wrist around in the air

"What is it honey?" The mother asked as she turned towards her child, looking away from the book she was reading, while mom washed the dishes but listened to what her child had to say

"I finally got it! I finally got my soulmates words!" They yelled as they lowered their wrist slightly and excitedly painted to it

"Oh that's wonderful news Y/n!" Mom said as she turned the tap off, took off her gloves and hugged Y/n

"See Y/n, i told you you would get a mark, what does it say?" Mother asked as she laughed slightly looking back at her book

"Oh uh, it says: 'Im fine, it's no big deal'." They answered quickly

"Well maybe you did something? Like tripped them over accidentally?" Mother said as mom glared at them and rolled their eyes, looking back towards her child

"Remember Y/n, there it already a place, time and day set to when and where you meet your soulmate, so don't try to rush!" Mom said as she got back to doing the dishes

"Got it mother!" Y/n said as they pointed finger guns at their mom and mother and went to their room, plopping in the bed and screaming with happiness in to the pillow

---time skip---

A few weeks have passed since he got his soulmates first words, three weeks and two and a half days to be exact, Hunter has been just sitting in his bead, occasionally helping around the owl house, helping clean Hooty, god... Those... Those three hours are never gonna leave his head... And overall never going as far as ten meters away from the owl house

'Why?' you may be asking, well, he was scared, yes, he was scared of meeting his soulmate, not because he didn't want to meet you, oh no, he was scared on heat you would think if him

Would you think he was weird? Would you think he was too tall, or maybe even to short? Would you think he wasn't muscular enough, or that he was too muscular? Maybe you would hate his face? The scars all across his face and his nose? He wasn't going to take any chances

"Hunter! Leave your god-damned room! You haven't left for four weeks!" Luz yelled as she banged on Hunter's locked door and fiddled with the door know like it was going to magically open

"It's been three weeks and two and a half days, be precise if you're gonna yell at me!" He argued back

"Hunter leave your room or I'll call Darius!" Luz yelled, and just like that, hunters door opened

"You know what, i think I'm gonna take a walk to the knee." He said as his coat was already in his hands

"Really, you're gonna pick the most least likely place to meet your soulmate?" Luz questioned

"Yup." He said as he already started walking downstairs, Luz right behind him

"You never specified where i sould go out to so I'm going to the knee, have fun!" He waved as closed the door and started to walk towards the knee

"Whatcha doin'?" Hooty suddenly appeared, hunter seemed to forget Hooty was the actual house he was living in

"None of your business bird worm, now if you'll excuse me, i need to take a want to the knee." He said as he started to walk towards the direction of the knee, Hooty didn't seem to stop following him, but at at least halfway towards the knee Hooty got bored and left, now it was just Hunter, in the cold air with his coat, walking in the woods, no one else was there except the creatures lurking around and of course him

As hunter saw a clearing he saw some sort of magic being shot, when he leaned from a tree to get a closed look, that magic hit him, it wasn't something that serious, just a strong gust of wind manipulated by magic, but it still hurt when he fell

"Oh my Titan, I'm so sorry are you okay?" The person asked as they ran towards hunter, holding out a hand to him

"Im fine, it's no big deal." He said as he took the person's hand and pulled himself up

"I'm so sorry i didn't mean to hit you i was just practicing magic on my practice want and-" the person rambled but Hunter seemed to tune out the things they were saying as he repeated the word in his head that they said, 'Oh my Titan, I'm so sorry are you okay?' he felt like he heard it before, maybe even read it.

Hunter's eyes widened when he realized

"Oh my-" he mumbled as he looked down towards the person below him, they are his soulmate, and gosh were they gorgeous

"what, did i say something... Dumb." They said as they as well looked up towards the person, the words he said repeated in their head in an instant as one thought crossed their mind, well multiple thoughts, he is my soulmate, and gosh why does he have prettier eyes than me! I mean I'm not complaining

"Uhm, i didn't think i would meet you like this heh, you know, in the middle of the forest with snow surrounding us while i blasted wind at you knocking you to the ground and oh my god you're my soulmate."they panicked as hunter laughed lightly

"No it's alright, now that i know you're my soulmate i will spear your life." He joked, they laughed lightly as they spread their arms out

"want a hug." They asked as hunter looked at them for a minute confused, god this is awkward

Hunter gave in and wrapped his arms around the person

"what's your name?" He asked as he still held them, feeling warm and fuzzy inside by their touch, and in his stomach it was like a swarm of butterfly's just let loose

"Y/n, what about yours?" They asked, as well not letting go, Hunter pulled his face away and loosely held his hands around Y/n's waist as they held thier arms loosely around his neck

"It's Hunter." He said

"Well I'm glad to meet you Hunter." They said as they stood there for a minute looking in to each other's eyes

"I don't know if we're doing this in a platonic way or romantic way, i prefer the second one- what u didn't say that-" they rambled again, managing to make hunter chuckle as he pecked their lips (woah that's a bit fast author, why m i talking to myself)

"Does that answer your question?" He said

"Mhm!" They nodded as their whole face turned red including their ears

"Now, you say you were practicing magic? Mind if I helped" hunter said as he let go of your waist and grabbed one of your hands instead

"Yeah you can help." They said as a big smile spread across their face

The two soulmates walked to the clearing and practiced magic together for the rest of the day

You can make up the rest yourself since I'm too lazy ;)

Hope you enjoyed this cuz I'm writing this on a school night 👍

[armpirate]

UNDER HIS SKIN || JJK || Ch. 38

Pairings: tattoist!jk x fem!reader

Genre: smut, angst, friends to lovers, tattoo au, virgin reader.

Summary: They say there are two versions for every story, and it's important to hear both of them. Everybody is hearing your side of the story, but it's just fair to get to know his.

After breaking up with his girlfriend, the only thing he wanted was to have fun with no attachment. You wanted to get rid of your virginity, and he wanted to tick you off his list. What he didn't expect was getting so emotionally attached to you that he would regret the deal.

Previous || Next

MASTERLIST

Aprox. time of reading: 12 minutes

After she visited me in the hospital, I didn't think I'd go almost three weeks without seeing her. Nothing. Not even once. At all. Both Soo and my mother were with me all the time, especially my mom. She just wanted to make sure that I was fine and that my condition didn't get worse over night -something that was kind of impossible, but well. 

So the only thing we've had for the past three weeks were constant texts and late night calls, where we'd both admit how bad we're missing each other.  

These days have gone by way too slow without seeing her. And the way my brain has registered every single aspect from her, and replayed it in my brain every time my head went blank didn't help. I just wanted to sink my head in the crook of her neck and lose myself in her floral scent, while she hugged me back tight.

That's why I didn't hesitate when Soo told me about Tammy's "party" to celebrate that she got the role in a play. Of course I'm happy for her and I'm going there to support her, but she isn't the main reason I'm going there -although the last thing I want tonight is to get out of my house. 

Everyone would kill me if they ever heard me saying that. 

I breathe in deeply, feeling nervous all of a sudden while I'm standing in front of the door to Tae's pub. And I'm able to hear my heart beating loud and fast against my chest when I recognize the back of her head, and I see her hair waving when she moves it. 

Tae rushes to greet me, smiling big, and seeming more excited than I am right now.

—She has no idea you were coming —he pats my arm—. Go for it.

—Jungkook! —Melanie cheers, getting our attention.

Receiving another pat from Tae before he walks behind the counter, I start making my way to their table, walking among the crowd until I finally join them. 

—I couldn't miss your party —I cheer for Tammy, pulling her in for a hug.

After she steps back, her first reaction is to pinch my cheeks and thank me for coming. And the rest do the exact same thing, even Soo and Mark -probably because they didn't expect me to get out of my house and drive all the way here after what happened. 

I can feel Y/n's arms wrapping tight around me when it's her turn, while I hold her close by her shoulder. I'm unable to hide my smile when that fruity scent fills my nostrils for a few seconds. There it is. She hides her face deeper in the curve of my neck, allowing me to feel her cheeks curving with the smile she's trying to hide. 

After she steps back, Tae also joins us and hugs me. 

—You're finally back —he hugs me properly now—. This is asking for a round of shots to celebrate, doesn't it?

We all are grouped together for the first two rounds, but soon after we start separating into smaller groups. At some point, Mark heads to one of the tables with Tammy, to spend some time with some of his friends, Melanie, Soo and Y/n stay together in their table, while Tae and I head to the counter -he even jokes at how he's kept my spot completely clean and unused when we walk there.

Even if we are apart, and somehow engaged in different conversations, our eyes meet through the room. It's like living that first time all over again, both of us being unable to move our eyes away. And it doesn't seem like either of us want to. It's been too long to keep our eyes away from each other. Maybe we aren't being subtle at all, because Soo sends me a message on how she's about to throw up if we continue with the Twilight stare contest.

I lift my right arm, kissing a particular spot on my wrist and that I know she recognises by the way she smiles and shakes her head. 

Y/n walks in my direction, supporting her weight on the counter, before she asks for a refill. 

—Hey —I smile.

—Hey —she smiles back—. Do you come here often? —she jokes.

Probably it's the excitement of seeing her so close after so long, but I giggle at that lame joke, scrunching my nose and forcing myself to turn around and face in the same direction she is.

—Having fun? —I ask.

—Yeah —she nods, resting her hand on the counter—. And it'd be better if someone stopped staring at me.

—Says the person who's taking notes of my every move —I snap back, lifting my eyebrows. 

We look at each other for a few seconds, ending up smiling wide when we're aware of how close we are.

—I've missed you a lot —she says first.

—I missed you, too —I move my hand over the surface carefully, caressing her hand with my pinky—. You should feel lucky this is a secret, because the way I wanted to kiss you in front of everyone when I saw you... Babe, you would've been embarrassed.

—You speak too much —she leans to me, getting even closer—, but do too little.

—Cocktease, better find an excuse for us to leave, because you're coming home with me right now.

—Wait just a little bit more —she finally says.

That "a little bit more" lasts for almost one hour more, before Soo and Mark, and Melanie decide to leave after making sure where we all should be meeting tomorrow.

Y/n leaves the pub first, and later I find out Tammy will stay a bit longer because she found a poor victim to entertain herself with tonight. When I get out, I find her hugging her own body. 

—Do you need a ride?

Her giggles vibrate through my body as I hug her from behind and kiss her neck.

—I'll only accept it if you take me on a motorbike.

—It's the only transport I know.

Still holding her by her shoulders, I pull her closer to my body as we walk towards my already repaired motorbike. Y/n stops by a certain spot, tracing her finger over the little scratch she made the night we met and that's completely gone now.

—Should I kick it again?

—Don't even think about it —I warn her, hopping on the motorbike—. I'm already marked by you, you don't need to mark anything else.

I hand her one of the helmets that I left hanging on the handlebar, and I help her to place it properly and tie it up while she stands next to me. I playfully spank the side of her leg, motioning her to the empty spot behind me.

—You sure you can drive?

—Yup —I wink at her.

I don't drive her home though. At least not yet. Instead, I drive her to the studio, making sure she will receive the gift I bought for her almost a month ago, and that I've been keeping like it was the most expensive treasure.

—Do you have to pick something up here? —she looks at the studio.

—Something like it, yeah.

Holding her hand tight, I guide her steps towards the studio and close the door behind us once we're inside. While I walk to the room where I usually work to get the necklace, I hear her speak:

—You know, today you reminded me a lot of the day we met —she laughs—. I think you're wearing the exact same fit...

She stops smiling suddenly when she spots me getting out of the room, looking at her while I rest my body on the shoulder that's against the door frame.

—What?

—Nothing —I shake my hand.

I walk to her, trying to seem as calm as possible, although right now I'm way too nervous to say a single word without babbling. 

She looks completely gorgeous tonight.

—You look even more beautiful than the night we met —I rub my thumb on her chin.

—Does that mean I wasn't beautiful enough back then? —she teases me.

—Maybe —I joke.

She punches my stomach jokily, still giggling and laughing until I manage to link our lips together softly and gently, trying to taste every bit of this moment. I can feel her fingers pulling me in closer, digging her fingers in my hair.

—I love you —she whispers out of breath, breaking the kiss.

Did she actually say it or am I making this up right now?

—I don't think I've heard properly —I peck her lips

—I love you.

—Again? —I land a kiss on her cheek.

—I love you.

—Hmm... One more time? —she cackles with this one last question, humming after when I kiss her neck.

—I love you, Kook —she whispers, wrapping her arms around my shoulders—. I love you, I love you, I love you —I repeat.

—I love you, too —I say back, tucking one of her locks behind her ear—. You have no idea, baby —I kiss her again—. Also...

Trying to mock our first night, I hide the necklace in my closed fist when I move it behind her ear, only opening it to show off the necklace when I move it in front of her eyes. 

—I bought it the day before I had the accident, and I remembered I left it here the night I was planning to give it to you.

Smiling big, she takes the necklace by the silver chain, adoring the snake shape on her palm.

—You've always said you liked the snake tattoo —I mention, trying to fill in the silence—, and this necklace reminded me of you. This way, we both will have something that reminds us of the other.

She caresses the heart-shaped pendant with her thumb. And while I know she isn't the type to cry for the minimum thing, I can see her lower lip trembling and her eyes watering, although she's trying to hide it by looking down. 

—Do you want to cry?

She nods at the question, sobbing in a matter of a second. I pull her closer to my body again, feeling her cry on my chest while I wrap my arms around her, making sure I spread kisses all over her exposed shoulder.

—Hope you're crying because you're happy, and not because it's ugly and you don't know how to tell me.

I try to joke around to make her feel better about this. And I get it. Y/n laughs while tearing up, holding onto me.

—I'm ruining your shirt —she giggles, stepping back to check on the fabric.

As if I care about my clothes being stained with makeup right now. 

I lower my face to the spot she's looking at, seeing the stain she's probably worried about. Shrugging it off, I rub the reverse of my hand on it and proceed to ignore it when I realize it won't be gone that easily. She suddenly laughs at my reaction, and only then I think it's safe to take the necklace away from her.

Y/n instantly understands what I want to do, because she lifts her hair, helping me to hook the necklace around her neck -even if it takes me a bit more than expected to close it.

She cups my face with her hands, leaning to me to lock her lips with mine. That kiss escalates quickly. It goes from soft and pure, to a passionate one full of lip locking and sucking -the sounds coming from it just warning us where this will lead to. But I don't want to do any of that here. And even less now.

—Not here —I place my hands back on her waist. 

—Why? —she pinches my sides playfully, knowing that's get me to squirm and smile.

—This isn't a good place —I manage to say—. You're too special to do it here.

I would bring girls here constantly because I didn't want them in my place, or because I wanted to win them over before they took me to their places. Y/n is the girl I want to make love to, care about her through every single movement and breath. She's the girl I want to sleep with and wake up next to to start the day properly.

She deserves better than a quick fuck in my former bachelor pad.

✸ ✸ ✸

All those sweet and cute kisses and giggles quickly turn into filthy sounds as soon as we get to my house, unable to keep our hands to ourselves the moment we cross the door.

She whines with every thrust, holding onto the sheets while I keep pounding into her while grabbing on her hips tight.

My hands slip over her body, squeezing her tits as I try to lift her torso. Reading my intentions fast, she pushes her body up, until her back is against my chest. My thrusts go back to a slower pace when we're in that position, and I'm able to spread kisses all over her shoulder and neck.

—Stop forcing your arm —she asks between gasps, although it sounds more like a scold.

—Babe, I can't help it —I try to thrust in deeper with every move I make—. I want to have you in every position, take you from every angle —I kiss her jaw.

It's been way too long to hold back. I don't even care about the slight pain in my arm. I need her right here and now.

—You didn't think about that? —I manage to ask.

—Yeah —she moans when two of my fingers pinch her nipple gently—. Every day. I missed you so much.

—That's why you're giving me a third one? Hmm? —I buck my hips, moving a bit faster.

Her head falls over my shoulder, while I hold her close to keep her in that position. I recognise her expression when she puckers her lips and squeezes her eyes shut.

—Look at me —I ask her—. Keep your eyes on me when you cum.

She opens her eyes almost instantly, giving me a pleading look when two of my fingers move through her soaked slit, focusing on her swollen clit while my cock pounds into her. Moving my fingers in circles, I drive her closer to the edge. 

She cries my name, and holds onto me as if her life depended on it -nails digging on my skin tight, while her other fingers grasp the back of my head. I can tell she's fighting to keep her eyes open, but they just end up closing at the same time her head falls back over my shoulder. 

A few more thrusts and I feel my release filling the latex, before I go completely still inside of her. My head falls on hers, while my hands just caress her body carefully.

Turning our bodies, I let us fall back on the mattress. She rolls over her body though, still in between my arms, to  allow me to meet her sparkly eyes and wide smile. She moves my wet locks away from my eyes, caressing down my forehead and cheek, letting her palm rest there -something that gives me an inner peace that nothing else has ever given me before.

We stay in silence for a few minutes, just looking into each other's eyes, as if that was enough to communicate -and at this point I'm convinced it is.

—I need to ask you something —I mutter in a low tone.

—Sure.

I have the question clear in my head. There's no way I'm going to mess it up.

—Do you... When you... Wait —I sigh, looking away from her as I try to find the right words to use—. Remember when you asked me what we are? —she nods— What do you want us to be?

Her gaze slowly moves away, falling over my chest and a particular spot in my room, and silence suddenly surrounds us. 

—Umm... a couple —she whispers, still looking away—. I mean, I know we kinda are one now, and it won't make much difference. But when I talk about you, I want to be able to say that you're my boyfriend —she explains, moving her gaze back to my eyes.

If she weren't here right now, I probably would be jumping off the bed right now.

—That's exactly what I want —I cut her off—. So from now on we are...

—Dating —she finishes for me, almost singing the word.

I nod, chuckling after how cute she looked and dragging her closer to me, leaving ho gaps between our bodies.

[void-cloud]

So I've been ignoring my Mom all year. Which is more than usual.

See, last year I made it a point to at least call for birthdays and meet up for food every couple months or so. But this year it's been full silence from my side since what happened in January. And with the usually obligatory major holiday meetup looming in front of me, I've been trying to figure out why.

Well, turns out: I hate her.

I know this is mental health tumblr, so this isn't really a very unique statement, but I'm happy to be part of this club now x)

I knew I didn't like her. And my entire family is united in knowing that she isn't easy to deal with. But for all this time I have maintained that I don't hate her for what happened during my childhood. Yeah sure the fallout is *vaguely motions to my entire psych rep sheet* but it's not like she is the only one who had a hand in giving me abandonement issues. Both my sisters and Dad equally fucked off and left me behind in one way or another.

And yet, I don't hold the same animosity with them the way I do with her. I can have zero contact with Sis 2 for a year and we'll get together and talk and vibe with zero problems. Sis 1 apologizing to me for leaving at that time is a memory I hold dear and while I have way more conflicting feelings about my Dad, his unwavering support in the last couple years has made up for a lot of what happened earlier.

While nothing is truly resolved (and likely won't ever be at this point cause tbh I have other priorities), they all made changes and evolved and we found ways to support each other to whatever capacity possible.

Meanwhile, the person who actually raised me has just gotten worse over the years. Getting more and more wrapped up in her own bitterness and jealousy and how she has to have it the worst and everyones problems are somehow her fault and *sighs*

She yearns for connection and yet everytime something is not about her or something that interests her then it will get dismissed and the topic changed. When I got a (second) tattoo years ago, her first reaction was to say: "No stop doing that." Whenever I tried to share my interests with her growing up, she would dismiss it cause she didn't care about the thing. And then be hurt by us not having anything to talk about. I have told her multiple times that her throwing out my cool nightlamp sucked and I still think about that sometimes and so far she has apologized twice for hiding a book that had pictures she didn't approve of. Oh no, H.R.Giger is gonna...idk, I honestly never noticed that book being gone cause it was an impulse buy.

Like, there are actually many things that I can rationalize away if it was just that. Her being weird about me being queer sucked, but she also never stopped me from dating same gender or otherwise express myself. Dropping me with "family" while they fought out the divorce is a good chunk of why I am as fucked as I am but also....I 100% understand that it wasn't done with any malice. From her point of view it was the best thing she could do and welp, nobody connected the dots and did some damage control afterwards. Which is also on the rest of the family tbh

The thing is that she just never stopped being that way. Unwilling to hear that her decisions weren't good and blaming people who bring these things up for attacking her and "Well ok all is just my fault! Are you happy now??! ;_;"

A lot of things broke in me in January.

My patience for her shit was one of those.

While writing this New Years passed and I did not talk to her. Instead I spent a couple days with the rest of the family on vacation.

She has tried calling me a couple times but I just stare at the phone and move on with the day.

Idk, part of me would be elated to just go fully no contact for longer, but another wants to give her...something? A notion of why this is happening I guess. Just can't find it fully in me to formulate it yet

I'm ready to say I hate her, but I'm not ready to fully abandon her

[itsthemysterykids]

The people demand more >:(

*The clock reads a quarter to eight. Lili lights her shoe on fire, just for the hell of it. Coraline’s just thinking, Dipper is playing with his hair, Mabel is knitting, Lili continued to read her book while her shoe burns, Neil is playing with his sweatshirt by pulling the jaw strings, Norman is drawing a ghost tattoo on his arm with a sharpie marker, and Wybie’s pulling a string around his finger and making it turn purple. Seeing the flames growing, Lili puts the flames on his shoe out by hitting it with her jacket. Dipper is staring at the back of Norman’s head. Mabel notices this and nudges him in the arm. Neil is playing paper football. Pretty soon, everyone has fallen asleep*

*Later, Mr. Cipher is standing in the front of the room, staring at the sleeping students*

Cipher: Wake up! Who has to go to the lavatory?

*Everyone raises their hands*

*The clock now says 10:22*

*Neil is stretching and Raz is sitting on a stair rail, tearing pages out of a book and tossing them around*

Dipper: That's real intelligent.

Lili: … Y’know, some of those are by great writers.

Raz: You're right...it's wrong to destroy literature... *continues to tear pages out* It's such fun to read...and, Molet really pumps my blood!

Norman: *pronouncing it correctly* Mol-yare.

Dipper: Yeah… I love his work.

Norman: It’s amazing.

*Raz tosses the rest of the pages at Dipper and Norman. He picks up the card catalogue drawer and begins to take cards out*

Raz: Big deal...nothing to do when you're locked in a vacancy...

Neil: Speak for yourself...

Raz: Do you think I'd speak for you? I don't even know your language!

*Neil turns to Coraline*

Neil: Hey, you grounded tonight?

Coraline: I don't know, my mom said I was but my dad told me to just blow her off.

Neil: Big party at Kubo’s. His parents are in Europe. Should be pretty wild...

Coraline: Yeah?

Neil: Yeah, can you go?

Coraline: I doubt it...

Neil: How come?

Coraline: Well 'cause if I do what my mother tells me not to do, it's because my father says it's okay. There's like this whole big monster deal, it's endless and it's a total drag. It's like any minute...divorce...

Raz: … Who do you like better?

Coraline: What?

Raz: You like your old man better than your mom?

Coraline: They're both strict.

Raz: No, I mean, if you had to choose between them.

Coraline: I dunno, I'd probably go live with my aunt and uncle. I mean, I don't think either one of them gives a damn about me...it's like they use me just to get back at each other.

*Suddenly, from the back of the room, Wybie finally speaks*

Wybie: HA!

*Everyone looks at him shocked. Wybie blows his hair out of his eyes and grins*

Coraline: Shut up!

Neil: You're just feeling sorry for yourself...

Coraline: Yeah, well if I didn't nobody else would.

Neil: Aw...you're breaking my heart...

Raz: Sporto...

Neil: What?

*Raz jumps down off the railing and goes next to Neil*

Raz: You get along with your parents?

Neil: Well if I say yes, I'm an idiot, right?

Raz: You're an idiot anyway...But if you say you get along with your parents well you're a liar too! *He turns and walks away, but Neil follows and pushes him* What?

Neil: You know something, man...If we weren't in school right now, I'd waste you!

*Raz points his middle finger at the floor*

Raz: Can you hear this? Want me to turn it up?

*Raz flips his hand around so he is now giving Neil the bird. Dipper’s comes over and puts a hand on each of the guy's shoulders*

Dipper: Hey guys, I mean... Sometimes, I don't like my parents either, well, I don't...I don't get along with my dad...His idea of parental compassion is just, you know, every man for themselves!

*Mabel nods*

Raz: Dork...

Dipper: … Yeah?

Raz: You are a parent's wet dream, okay? *He starts to walk away*

Dipper: Well that's a problem!

Raz: Look, I can see you getting all bunged up for them making you wear these kinds of clothes. But face it, you're a Neo-Maxi-Zoom-Dweebie! What would you be doing if you weren't out making yourself a better citizen?

Norman: *Scoffs* Why do you have to insult everybody?

Raz: I'm just being honest with Pine Tree! I would expect you...to know the difference!

Neil: Yeah well, he's got a name!

Raz: Yeah?

Neil: Yeah. *to Dipper* What's your name?

Dipper: ...Dipper...

Coraline: … Dipper?

*Wybie snickers, only to get punched in the arm by Lili*

Raz: *to Dipper* My condolences.

Mabel: What's your name?

Raz: What's yours?

Mabel: Mabel...

Raz: Mabel? *Laughs*

Mabel: ...It's a family name!

Raz: *Teasingly* Nooo...It's a lesbian grandma's name!

Mabel: Well, thank you...

Raz: You're welcome...

Mabel: … I’m not a lesbian… By the way.

Raz: Well not at present, but I could see you scorin' some chicks! You see, I'm not sure if you know this...but there are two kinds of lesbians. There's lesbians that were born to be lesbians, and then there's lesbians who thought they were straight, but then they had a sexual awakening, and they're lesbians...so when you look at them you can sorta see that they thought they were straight! You see, you're gonna get married to another nice lesbian, you're gonna adopt, knit sweaters for them much like the one you’re wearing, and… I don’t know, ride a motorcycle.

Norman: That’s the dream.

*Out of nowhere, Coraline raises her middle finger*

Raz: Oh...obscene finger gestures from such a pristine girl.

Coraline: I'm not that pristine!

Raz: … You ever kiss anyone?

Previous / Next

[asexual-hugger]

*The night air feels cool on Allison’s skin, and after being inside the stuffy ballroom, it's a welcome relief. She paces back and forth outside the manor, holding up her dress so she can walk steadily in her white heels. At this point, she doesn't care if she stumbles and twists her ankle. Her father had humiliated her with his comments, and both her mother and her husband had been right there*

Allison: Ugh, what is WRONG with him? First he shows up outside my dressing room and embarrasses me in front of my girlfriends, and THEN he has to do it again when Adrian and Mom are there, and just...WHY??? Does he hate vampires for some reason? He didn't seem to happy to find out that I was a vampire, too! And he calls my brand a ‘tattoo.’ (She imitates her father’s voice) ‘Do you know how this must’ve looked at the ceremony?’ Like really? REALLY? Was anyone there saying ANYTHING about why I had a brand on my arm? No! Want to know why? Because everyone there except Mom and Dad was a vampire, and they know vampires get brands to belong to a Clan! I was going to tell him that I was a vampire; I was looking for the right way to say it. He wasn't supposed to find out like this!

*Her movements are forced from her pent-up frustration, and as she stomps again in the other direction, she crashes straight into a broad chest. Strong arms quickly steady her before wrapping tightly around her, pulling her close. Warmth radiates throughout. Gentleness. A steady, thumping heartbeat sounds in her ear. She glances up. A pair of green eyes meet hers, tenderness and love reflected in them. She knows this presence very well*

Allison: Adrian. Crap! How much of that did you hear?

Adrian Raines: Everything. But I'm not complaining. What are you doing out here?

Allison: I should be asking you that.

Adrian Raines: I came out here to check up on my wife and see if she was okay. I saw you leave and I followed you. You looked upset.

Allison: That's an understatement.

Adrian Raines: Let me guess. Your dad? (Allison rolls her eyes)

Allison: Who else? He humiliated me, you, Kamilah, Lily, Serafine and even Mom. I don't know what's gotten into him. He never behaves like this. He's normally really calm.

Adrian Raines: Maybe he was intimidated. A vampire wedding can get pretty dramatic for most humans. I am so sorry about what happened in there. I wish I could take your pain away.

Allison: YOU’RE sorry? Why are YOU sorry? You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one with the screwed-up family. You just stood there and took it like a champ. You didn't even argue with him and he was ripping into you.

Adrian Raines: I've spent over two centuries dealing with difficult people. Your dad wasn't anyone new to me. I've learned how to handle things like a professional. Being a CEO will do that to you after a while. (He wraps his arms around the back of her neck and gazes down at her) I hope you know that I really love you. I wasn't telling your dad that just to be that ‘protector’ person that wants to cover his butt. If I'm being honest, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me in over two hundred years. Your dad will eventually see that. He has to. He'll see how much you really mean to me.

Allison: How did I end up with you?

Adrian Raines: You said yes. Which was the greatest news of my life. (He pauses) Listen. You are not a screw-up. Your family is not a screw-up. You're dealing with a lot. I came out here so you could talk to me about your frustrations. I've been told I am an excellent listener.

Allison: You’ll be taking those words back if you heard all my frustrations right now. (She looks over at the manor doors) I'm needed in there, aren't I? First I show up late to the ceremony, and then I leave during the reception. I'm not being a very considerate bride tonight. It’s our big night and I'm acting like an entitled bitch.

Adrian Raines: Yes, you are needed in there, and no, you are not an entitled bitch. I've seen entitled bitches and you are not one. You're intelligent, you're gorgeous, and you're wearing a killer sexy wedding dress, and best of all? It's all mine. You are my wife and I will stay out here with you until you are ready to go back inside. The guests can wait a little longer. Nothing like making a big dramatic re-entry. We vampires are well known for it.

Allison: I should go back inside. Gaius promised the guests the bouquet toss. No way am I missing that. They need their bride to do the honors.

Adrian Raines: Then allow me to walk you back in. I'm waiting in anticipation for this party to be over so I can drive you home and have you all to myself.

*Allison adjusts her veil and puts on a straight face as she strolls back into the manor on Adrian’s arm. Cheers greet her the instant she steps into the ballroom, and Lily, Kamilah and Jax approach her quickly*

Lily Spencer: Girlfriend, where did you go? You've got a bouquet waiting to be thrown to the next available bachelorette. (She hands Allison her forgotten bouquet from her spot at the table) The food rocked, by the way, especially the cake. Everyone’s raving about it.

Kamilah Sayeed: Not to mention those children are on some kind of sugar high. (She nods to Lula and Kano) Where were you? We got worried.

Allison: Yeah, sorry. I went outside.

Jax Matsuo: The party getting too overstimulated already? I was tempted to go out myself, but then I saw Adrian rushing out in a hurry.

Allison: I had some anger to release. Don't ask.

Jax Matsuo: I know the feeling. I have that almost every day.

*Allison walks into the center of the room and picks up a microphone, diverting everyone’s attention to her*

Allison: Hey, everybody. Sorry for my odd disappearance earlier, but I was only...getting my bouquet! (She holds it up to more cheers) So before this party goes past midnight, would all the single ladies please come forward and gather up here in front of me? Yes, that means you, too, Lula! All ladies, women and girls alike, who are currently without a date, are welcome to participate!

*Immediately, all the single women and young girls move into the center, the children in front. Allison gets up on one of the tables for a view of everyone, her bouquet clasped in her hands*

Lula Jacobs: I wanna bouquet like Miss Allison’s when I get married!

Allison: Ready?

*She scans the crowd, looking for one face in particular, and then she throws her bouquet under-handed towards...Lula! The little girl barely has time to react before the flowers hit her shoulder, and on instinct, her hands shoot out and catch it before it hits the floor*

Lula Jacobs: I caught it!

Allison: (amid cheers) Great job, Lula!

Lula Jacobs: I'm getting married next! (Her eyes land on Kano, and he gives her a thumbs-up)

Allison: You can keep it as a souvenir to remember tonight. Put it in a fancy vase when you get back to the Shadow Den.

Lula Jacobs: I'm never gonna forget tonight. This was the best wedding EVER!

Lily Spencer: Okay, y’alls, who’s ready to DANCE? It'll be for real this time! This party’s officially on FIRE!

*She whips out her phone and selects her Wedding Playlist, and bright, lively pop tunes begin playing loudly. Everyone moves out to the floor and starts dancing wildly*

Allison: Yeah, Lil! Now THAT is what I like to see at my wedding! The perfect way to end the night with a bang!

Lily Spencer: Hey, I'm your girl for anything you need, bestie. You asked me to DJ for a reason, and that's what I'm doing. I was born for this! Now why are you hanging over here chitchatting with little ol’ me? Go get your mans and BRING IT DOWN! You're freaking MARRIED now...Mrs. Raines!

[fuck-customers]

(tw ableism, racism)

i never complained about this guy on here but i finally talked to the store lead about this awful guy i work with! said guy, we'll call him don which of course isnt his actual name, is so annoying. for the record, i helped train him, so its not like he's been here for long time. less than a year. anyway, don thinks he's smarter and better than everyone else. he knows everything and everyone else is wrong if they disagree with what he's saying. he's always talking about people behind their backs, and complaining about how no one does their job right, but i guess he does. he's also always spewing some bs about "you should work for satisfaction not money" (girl why are you here then? you hate this job) and "if you really want something you'll get it because you'll do anything for it" and other classist bullshit.

he'll complain about two of our coworkers specifically, who we'll call gina and ben. gina is an older woman, and don is always talking about how she leaves the register to make coffee every hour (gas station, coffee is made every two hours or as needed) and is always away doing something even if there's a line. he also has made some weird comments about the old men who come in and talk to her. he talks about ben the most though, saying he doesnt do anything, he's always disappearing (which, yeah, he does sometimes, but usually i can track him down because i know what he's doing) and calling off (which he used to do, but now he calls off only occasionally, and is definitely not the worst offender in terms of calling off all the time). its also worth noting that ben and gina have been here for years, through multiple managers and store leads and rounds of employees. now, when don and i are at the register, don is usually occupied with stocking cigarettes and the other nicotine products up there, and its nice to have that stuff done, but that means i am the only one ringing people out. even if theres a line. so if someone else leaves him alone at the register, its a problem, but if he leaves me alone, its fine. another thing about ben he doesnt like is his tattoos. ben is a young guy with a ton of tattoos, including face tattoos, and some piercings. don doesn't like that. he was talking about this the other day to me, and he was saying how "businesss shouldn't hire people with tattoos, i wouldn't" (when I told the store lead he said "but there are professionals with tattoos?"), and first off, this is a gas station honey. what i said to don was, "I don't know, I still think those people deserve to eat." he replies, "I don't." i don't know what to say to that.

he also doesn't like me I don't think. we were talking about stuff we have to do, and got on the topic of outside trash, and I said, "Yeah, if I could do outside trash I would, but because of my hand I can't lift the pump trash lids." i have an ongoing issue with my left hand that we think is tendonitis but we aren't sure, and basically i can't put any pressure on any part of my thumb/that part of my palm. to lift the pump trash lids, you have to push inward on the sides with your palm and lift up. obviously i cant do that. but i can lift propane tanks because that's mostly on my fingers. he tells me, "man, i wish i had a brace i could just put in when i didn't want to do something."

my man the other day i sat down on the floor to look for something and i thought it was healed but as soon as i leaned on it i fell because of how much it hurt. I've tried to do pump trash with it, it made it worse.

going back in time, he said something to me that i didn't think much of at the time. he looked up and saod "that's who you remind me of!" and said my voice sounded like his ex girlfriend's. at first i was like okay. whatever. but he mentioned it again later in a way that infuriated me and im about to tell you why.

so, he was going off about "how you should only eat between these times of the day" (directed at me because i mentioned my breakfast that morning? my dude i get up at six for this shift.) and then going off about circadian rhythms and how theres a single set one (which is not true!) and i mentioned that one if the symptoms of adhd is having a circadian rhythm thats out of sync (he knows i have adhd). and then he starts going off about how "no its not, tell me that when its in a medical book" (girl? maybe look at one that isnt outdated) and then that adhd is overdiagnosed (untrue and also a googleable statistic) and pretty much implying that i was just saying i had it to be special and not have to do things, which infuriated me because thats what everyone says about it and what ive been told my whole life, to the point my mom literally had to threaten several schools with legal action because they would not follow my IEP, and then when i said "hey, I'm the one living with this, you aren't," he said "kelly! kelly! you sound so much like her! you're just kelly to me!"

obviously that's kind of a fucked up thing to say.

some other things i hate about this man is that he gets really aggressive when he's frustrated. one day he started slamming things down as he was stocking. he even does it in front of customers! also, as a cherry on top, he was talking to our coworker, and found out she had a lot of black friends, and called her a [n word] lover.

i also know that im not the only person who has problems with him. literally no one likes him. he's always complaining that someone else isnt doing their job right and "if *I* were the manager" and stuff like that. it might be worth mentioning that i only complained because someone suggested i do. i was just going to tough it out for a while since im going back to school soon and will only be dealing with him once a month

one of my coworkers gave me her number if i ever wanted to talk about it, and the store lead said he would try to talk to him (without mentioning me), and this definitely wasn't okay for him to be doing, so we'll see how this goes. also, i think the store lead kept me in the office talking with him (about school and the pandemic and other stuff) for an hour ish so that i wouldn't have to deal with him, since don leaves after an hour of me being there during the week (but we have six hours together on the weekend) so that was nice.

sorry for the long ask. tldr this guys just an all around asshole who doesnt shut up and thinks he's superior to everyone else but my other coworkers are nice people

[jimlingss]

I saw that u were taking requests (yey) I'd want like a soulmate au (there are numerous kinds but I want u to have freedom to write what kind u want!) but it's just pure angst 😳😳 it could be any member n possibly an open or no happy ending :] I'm just a sucker for angst n think u would write this so well!

Anonymous said: Yoongi x reader, soul mate au, angsty but happy ending pls cuz I'm sensitive 🥺 maybe both soul mates get a weird tattoo, or hear each others thoughts or something else

Both these requests are asking for soulmate AUs, so I’m compiling them together. But one wants it to be angst city and the other wants a happy ending LOL. Guess we’ll see what happens.

↳ The Soulmate Gift

3.6k || 70% Angst, 30% Fluff || Min Yoongi || Soulmate!AU

Warning: depiction of child abuse

It happens when you’re ten.

They told you it was different for everyone, that it usually started during puberty and it was perfectly normal. But you’re pretty sure it’s not supposed to be like this.

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

You flinch at the noises, the bathroom door quivering against the frame from the pounding on the other side. Your mom shouts, “Get out!”

“Just give me one second!” You look back into the mirror, staring at yourself with seaweed green hair and streaks of bright purple. You look like a clown and you want to cry. 

You don’t run into your mom on your way out, so you go to school with a tattered baseball cap, stuffing all of your hair in it. During the trudge to school with a grumbling stomach, you hold the cap tight against your skull, not letting a single strand loose. You’re nervous on the playground, your other hand coming to grip at your backpack strap. But luckily, no one asks. 

At least not until you’re inside and getting settled into your desk.

“Good morning, class!” Mrs. An struts into the room, beelining towards the front. “Open your books! Tommy, shush!” You try your best to hide beneath your open textbook that’s propped up, but the moment she looks in your direction, she’s already saying, “Y/N, no hats inside.”

You straighten. “Um, my mom—”

“Rules are rules. Take it off,” she commands without leaving room to argue or explain. “This is the last time I’ll repeat myself unless you want detention.”

So you do.

You slip the cap off your head with tears stinging your eyes.

Mrs. An turns to the whiteboard, beginning to write the title for today’s lesson, but a loud gasp from the classmate sitting behind you captures her attention again. She swivels on her feet and her eyes land straight on your head. Everyone’s eyes do. On your stark, fiery red hair.

Your cheeks burn in embarrassment. 

The next thing you know, you’re being dragged by your teacher into the principal's office. From the hall, you can still hear the entire classroom giggling, whispering about you and making a complete ruckus much to Mrs. An’s dismay.

“This is unbelievable!” she howls, hands lifted to the sky. “How could a fifth grader have hair like this?! It’s entirely inappropriate! It’s a complete distraction to the classroom!”

The principal, Mr. Park, hums. His hands are clasped on top of his desk and he calmly asks, “Did your parents dye your hair yesterday, Y/N?”

You slump and mutter, “No.”

He frowns. “Then who did?”

“No one…”

Mrs. An spits, “Then you did it yourself?!”

“No!” Your voice pitches in an attempt to defend yourself and your teeth sink into the bottom of your lip, trying to hold back your tears. You don’t want to get into trouble. “I woke up like this!”

But Mrs. An doesn’t believe you. Her eyes narrow and she scoffs. “How dare you lie to me and the principle?! If you didn’t do it, then who did? It’s against the rules to have anything other than your natural hair colour!” 

Mr. Park sighs lightly. “We’ll just have to contact your mom and speak to her, Y/N.”

Immediately, your eyes widen and you bolt to a stand. “No, please!” you cry out. “Don’t! I’m sorry! I’ll dye it back! I won’t do it ever again!” 

But the man shakes his head. “It’s too late for that.”

Your fist crumples and you deflate. 

Your mom comes in half an hour later, dressed in stained jeans, old boots, and the only clean flannel she has. She’s not happy. You can tell by the look on her face. Even if she smiles and nods her head at the principal, you can see the tick in her eye and the muscle in her cheek twitching.

The moment she looks at you, her eyes become rounded at your crimson hair.

“I had no idea this happened. I’m so sorry for her behaviour. She must’ve gotten her hands onto my dye kits somehow.” She sighs and turns to you. “It won’t happen again. Right, Y/N?”

You nod. “I’m sorry.”

Mr. Park smiles softly. “Not at all. It’s not that big of a deal. Some...teachers around here just adhere more strongly to the rules, so we want to make sure it’s consistent for everyone. It’s a bit of a distraction to her peers, but as long as Y/N comes in tomorrow with more...appropriate hair, it won’t be a problem.”

Afterwards, you’re sent home early. 

Your mom is silent on the walk home. You trail after her, dreading what will happen when you get back. 

The neighbours’ dog barks against the chain link fence, growling and baring their teeth. You flinch, getting closer to the gutter to avoid them. You’re safe when you get to your yard a few steps away and onto the worn, wooden porch that nearly breaks with your mom’s stomps. She kicks a few cigarette buds to the side and opens the squeaky screen door. You swallow hard and follow after her.

The living room is messy with clothes and old pizza boxes on the floor, and the TV is still on in the corner. 

“Mom….mom….I didn’t do it.” 

You drop your backpack, watching her stride towards the kitchen. She opens a drawer as you plead to her, and your voice becomes louder as the silver reflection of sharp scissors catches your eye. “No! Please! I swear I’m not lying!”

It’s useless.

She’s larger, taller, bigger and stronger than you are. 

She comes over and grabs your long hair, yanking it from your head. You cry as she starts to cut. Jagged lines, quick snips, sawing off the strands. A sob breaks through your chest and trying to get away only makes her grip on your hair tighten and she pulls it to get you back.

Mom grits her teeth. “How dare you go behind my back and cause my trouble, you bitch. You stole my dye, didn’t you?! You thief!”

You scream and cry. “I didn’t! I didn’t!” 

She never once notices how your hair returns to its natural colour as it sheds to your feet. That the moment it’s snipped from your head, the blazing red has faded away and lost the colour.

When it’s over, the scissors are tossed on the floor.

You’re left slumped on the ground, in a pool of your own hair. There are bald spots on your scalp while the other side is longer, uneven. What’s left of your head bleeds bright yellow, the colour of sunshine.

The next day, the shade mellows out, almost into a dirty blonde. You hope it’s good enough.

Your mom’s asleep on the sofa, snoring away with the TV still playing in the background. So you make it past her and trudge to school.

Kids are playing on the playground when you get there and you grip your backpack straps as you look on. But you don’t join them. Your feet turn and you duck out of sight, slipping into the school through the side doors. You’re lucky the janitor hasn’t locked them.

You’re not supposed to be inside the building yet, but you hope no one notices. Unluckily, someone turns the corner down the hall. But you breathe a sigh of relief when it’s just Mrs. Jung.

She’s always been nice. 

“Good morning.”

She’s busy tapping on her phone, yet in a chirpy voice, she still exclaims, “Good morning! How are you—”

Mrs. Jung finally looks up and she suddenly stops. 

You don’t know why her face looks like that. Like she’s seen a ghost. Is your hair really that bad? You tried to fix it and you thought it turned out okay.

Mrs. Jung gets closer and then lowers to a kneel in front of you, matching your height. Her shaking hand lifts and she touches the side of your head. You feel her fingertips against your scalp that still stings. You hiss and when you look at her, you see tears in her eyes. You wonder why.

“Who did this?” Her voice is quiet, gentle. 

“Um….I was playing with scissors.” 

Mrs. Jung looks at you again and says, “You’re allowed to tell me, Y/N.” 

You stay quiet, not sure what to tell her, not sure you want to get into any more trouble. If you do and get sent to the principal's office again, who knows what your mom would do then.

But as you’re thinking about it, Mrs. Jung adds on, “No one will get into trouble, I promise.”

She looks into your eyes. 

Your head droops, downcast vision looking at the floor. A quiet mumble escapes— “My mom.”

You’re not sure what happens after that. You’re sure your mom would be enraged if she knew you were talking about her and if you got her into trouble, that would be the worst. But for some reason, you don’t feel scared. Not when Mrs. Jung takes your hand and brings you to her science classroom. 

You sit behind her desk that’s hidden away from the rest of the class by bookshelves and she gives you an apple juice box. You slurp it up — you haven’t eaten since yesterday’s lunch.

When you peek out, you see Mrs. Jung talking to another teacher in the hall. Soon after, the principle comes to visit you. He has the same expression as Mrs. Jung did and asks you if your mom’s done something like this before. 

That day, your grandma picks you up from school. It’s a pleasant surprise. You’ve always liked your grandma but your mom never let her visit much. She hugs you tight.

The colour of your hair is a warm shade of gray.

...

Mrs. Jung takes you on a one-on-one special field trip on Sunday. She picks you up from Grandma’s house after you’ve had your favourite for breakfast: sunny-side up eggs. She drives you to the clinic and the female doctor hits your knee, making it bounce. The doctor also measures how tall you are, shines a light in your eye and asks if green is your favourite colour.

You see in the wall mirror that your head’s turned into a teal shade. You tell her no.

Half an hour later, you’re put in a machine that flashes lots of colours. They reassure you but you’re not scared. The vivid hues and mosaic of shades that blur past your eyes are pretty.

When it’s done, the doctor holds a clipboard while sitting next to the computer. Your legs swing from the edge of the examination table as you’re situated comfortable on the plush seat. 

“It’s as I initially suspected, the hair is her soulmate gift. It changes colour based on her soulmate’s emotions.”

Mrs. Jung frowns. “I’ve never heard of something like that before.”

“Yes, well, it’s much more rare. Only point zero six experience a hair quirk.” The doctor looks from Mrs. Jung to you then back at her again. “Typically, as you know, soulmate gifts come in the form of names tattooed into skin or even countdowns of when the person would meet their soulmate, but soulmate gifts can take all kinds of different shapes and forms. Luckily, this shouldn’t affect her too much aside from, obviously, her hair changing color. Kids usually receive their gift around puberty, but looks like she’s an early bloomer.”

The doctor briefly smiles at you and then rolls on her chair towards her desk. “She’s also malnourished, but I believe with the proper nutrition, she’ll be able to recover. We should book another appointment in a few months to keep an eye on that and the hair.”

When the trip to the clinic is over, Mrs. Jung brings you to the mall.

You look around with wide eyes at all the clothes in the windows, but she eventually stops in front of a particular store and kneels in front of you. Her eyes lock into yours and she takes your hand.

“Y/N, you understand what the doctor told you, right?”

“Yeah. My hair’s my soulmate gift.” You had guessed it was that anyway. 

Mrs. Jung nods with a smile. “Yes, you’ve always been a smart girl.”

She strokes your head affectionately and says, “I know you might not feel it now, but it really is a gift. Your soulmate is the one meant for you, your other half. They’re the one who can make you even happier. It’s both a blessing and a privilege to have. But it’s also okay if you hate it. You don’t have to like your soulmate gift,” she reassures. “If one day, you’re more comfortable with your hair, then that would be good. But it’s also okay if you’re not. It’s up to you.”

You nod after a moment.

Mrs. Jung smiles. “We’re gonna go into that wig shop, okay? You can pick two that you like and I’ll help you get it.”

Picking out wigs is more fun than you expect. The people there are happy to help and you end up going home with one black, long hair wig and another brown bobbed one that makes you look like Rapunzel after she cut her hair.

...

You only see your mom three times after that.

Once, she comes to your grandma’s house. Your grandma doesn’t let her see you, but you watch them yell at each other on the porch from the upstairs window. The next time is a year later in court. Your mom cries out for you and you tell her you’re sorry. Her hug is so tight, you can barely breathe. 

The last is a visit on your own accord years later. 

The small house you spent your childhood in is falling apart, windows broken, trash in the yard. You find her sitting on the armchair with a hazy expression, TV playing in the corner. She’s in the same exact position as if you never left. You put a blanket over her, but she stirs awake and sees you. She asks to borrow a hundred dollars.

Your mom winds up throwing a dirty plate your way when you give her twenty. It’s all you have on you.

You don’t realize the significance of what Mrs. Jung’s done for you until years later after you’ve long graduated elementary. So you visit her during High School with a thank you card and a bouquet of flowers. She’s gotten old by then, but she still remembers. She cries and hugs you tight. It feels comforting. And her hand brushes against the strands of your baby blue locks.

Grandma helps you grow out your hair again and is one of the people who help you become comfortable in it. By university, you’ve discarded your wigs in favour of your real hair that’s gotten luscious and shiny. Your friends think it's the coolest thing they’ve ever seen and some people approach you to tell you they love it and ask where you got it done. 

You tell them it’s your soulmate gift.

Throughout the years, you pick at the ends of your hair and keep track of its changes in your diary. It becomes a habit to play with your hair, to memorize the shade it morphs to. You find that during the winter seasons, your hair becomes white often. One day, it turns white twenty six times. 

On Valentine’s Day one year, your hair stays solid pink the whole day. And on another, it’s black for an entire week in April. 

You start to hypothesize on the data you collect, noting the frequency of the hair colour changes, of each shade. You suspect hues of yellow signify happiness, reds are anger, blues are sadness, white is when your soulmate is cold. You’re not so sure about the others—

“Y/N.”

Seokjin is leaning on your cubicle as you shut your journal, having recorded your hair turning into a shade of lilac.

“Boss man wants to see you.”

Your eyes widen and you stumble up, pushing your small office chair back. “What for?”

The man shrugs. “Beats me. I wouldn’t worry about it though. It’s not like he’s going to fire you………..right?”

Seokjin grins, but his joke only spurs more nerves on you.

You get to the door, smooth out your pencil skirt and with a deep breath, you knock.

“Come in.”

“You wanted to see me, Mr. Min?” 

You step inside his office, finding him looking into a small table mirror at his desk. He’s peering at his left eye and bats his lash several times. But then he sets the mirror down and looks at you.

“Yes, please take a seat.”

You clear your throat and sit in the chair across from him. The mirror is propped up in your direction, and you notice how your hair turns into a shade of monotone gray. It starts at the roots, bleeding downwards until all the strands have altered completely.

You pipe up, “If this is about the Jeon files, sir, I already redid them.”

“No, that’s not it.” He rubs his left eye that’s watering and then blinks. “Actually, I wanted to have a conversation about this for a while. Joy was supposed to talk to you about this, but she’s busy at the moment.”

Joy from HR. 

You’re immediately on alert. “Yes, sir.”

 Mr. Min says, “It’s about your hair.”

Oh.

He rubs his eye and then clasps his hands together on top of his desk. “Recently, we received a customer complaint that your hair was unprofessional.”

“It’s my soulmate gift.”

“Yes. I know. You mentioned it during your interview. But it still could be considered a distraction in the workplace.”

The word ‘distraction’ has a muscle by your brow jumping. It makes you practically bristle as déjà vu washes over you. But you aren’t ten anymore. You don’t have to be afraid.

You straighten. “With all due respect, I don’t think it’s a requirement for me to have to change my hair. This is out of my control….sir.”

Suddenly, your hair turns a faint hue of red.

Mr. Min’s brow raises as if he didn’t expect you to be so difficult. “It’s part of the rules to have business appropriate attire in the office.”

“Attire yes, but there is nothing referring to hair,” you quietly assert.

His jaw shifts and he leans back into his seat. “Well, we’ll have to confirm if that’s true with HR—”

“I already did,” you interrupt him with a meek smile and as an afterthought, you add, “sir.”

Your hair turns a stronger shade of red. From pastel to a raspberry. Your pupils flicker to the mirror on his desk and your brows furrow as you notice it.

Mr. Min breaks you out of your trance and you redirect your attention to him again. “Is it impossible to make it less of a distraction?” he asks while rubbing his eye that’s tearing up again.

“If it becomes a requirement for me to wear wigs to work every day and not an expectation for others, sir, then the company should pay for it, put it on for me each morning and help me maintain it.” Your hair turns a stronger shade of red — crimson — as Mr. Min rubs his eye more incessantly. You add, “With all due respect, I don’t consider my hair a distraction at all. It is out of my control and it isn’t my fault if others are distracted. It has to do with their attention span.”

He stands. “That’s enough.”

At the same time, from his watered eye, you see something fall out. 

You point. “Umm, sir…”

“Shit,” he mutters underneath his breath and looks to the carpet. You stand there for a delayed second before deciding to help him. You round his desk and descend to the ground where he is. All he says is, “It’s a contact lens.”

It’s a surprise to you considering you didn’t know he wore them.

But you quickly spot the transparent half-sphere. “Oh, it’s over there. By your foot.”

Mr. Min frowns. “Where?”

He looks up to see where you’re pointing. Your faces are inches away and instantly your eyes widen. A quiet gasp leaves your lungs. Not because of your close proximity but because Mr. Min’s iris is a fading red. And as confusion takes you, it morphs into a shade of gray.

Blooming outwards from his pupil, colour swirling into place.

“Your eye…” you murmur.

He mumbles, “It’s a soulmate gift.”

Yoongi grabs the brown colour contact lens, cursing at how it’s gotten dirty. But before he can get up, your hands latch onto his wrist, fingers digging into his skin and you tell him, “Wait.”

“What?”

There’s an unquenchable thirst to test the hypothesis that’s dawned upon you. 

So when your hair starts to turn into gray as well, you surge forward on sheer intuition. And you kiss your boss, Min Yoongi. Your lips press against his, enough to register how soft and velvet his mouth is, long enough to feel his vanilla chapstick transfer onto your lips. But it’s a chaste peck. Shy and hesitant. And you pull away just as quickly.

Yoongi falls back on his butt with eyes nearly falling out of their sockets.

Immediately, you look over to the mirror on his desk. Your hair is turning from gray to red with faint streaks of cotton candy pink. 

You gaze back at Yoongi to find his iris is peony pink.

“D-Did you just kiss me?!”

“Umm, sir, with all due respect, I believe you’re my soulmate.”

The words to dawn upon him. For the first time, your strands of hair morphs into a soft, pastel pink and his irises match the same shade.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

One quick question, why do you hate Before the Storm? I actually really liked it. It could be because I'm a hopeless romantic, but I just want to see your opinions on it

Oh boy, where to even begin...? I cannot stand bts... it actually hurts my insides to think about how much I hate this game haha.

[note: yeah hi uhhh... this is long because of course it is, it's coming from me but listen, my feelings for this game are not nice and I have a lot to say so.... my bad]

One of the bigger reasons, though not the biggest, is Chloe... I'm not exactly a big fan of Chloe. At all. Not in the first game, nope. I understand that so many people love her and they have their reasons for that, that's fine, she's just a character who doesn't appeal to me. If anything, she pisses me off because I can see the foundation for such a compelling character, but it all gets thrown away for the sake of bullshit.

So then they plop bts in front of us with Chloe as the playable protagonist in a prequel story about her and Rachel Amber. This is an opportunity to expand on her character, to tie into the first season and make me feel more positive feelings about her character, to do what the first game failed to do..... and to be fair, they DO have a few of them sprinkled in... but then they're overshadowed by the garbage.

It's just... the ideas are there, and they're ideas that I like but they're executed so poorly. I want to like Chloe Price, I can see that there's something good here.

Like okay.... lemme do a thing:

Chloe Price. She's going through some serious shit after her dad dies. He died unexpectedly in a car accident, something Chloe had zero control over, it's not fair, and even though it's not like the universe singled her out and said "fuck you," it feels that way to her.

On top of that, her best friend who she adores? She moves away. Not something that's in either of their control, they're kids at this point. However, Max stops contacting her and that hurts Chloe. Chloe tries to stay in contact, but eventually Max stops responding.

Then you have her mother, who's also grieving after losing her husband and dealing with her daughter pushing her away and on the wrong path. She meets a man and falls for him after realizing she still has a long life ahead of her and that's too long to be miserable over her husband's death, William wouldn't want that, and David is a source of comfort for her... something she's not getting from her daughter. The problem is that David and Chloe don't get along in the slightest... which leads to Chloe feeling like her mom is trying to replace her father by moving on, not understanding why Joyce's timeline of grief isn't the same as hers, y'know?

Oh, and can't forget that Chloe has fallen onto a not so great path of drugs, booze, bad grades, lying, staying out late without letting her mom know where she is, pickin' fights, making friends with drug dealers, stealing money and other items, all that. She's bitter, angry, unable to understand most of her own complex emotions and that only makes her even more upset. She's unable to express them in a healthy way, she doesn't ask for help, and denies it whenever offered.

So... Chloe's starts out as an extremely entitled, rude, obnoxious character. She insults the bouncer in the cringiest way possible because these adult men writing her don't know how teen girls talk, she steals money and a t-shirt from a dude who works for the band because $20? how dare? even though bands don't make a lot of money and a lot of profit comes from their merch but who cares about supporting artists you like, right? Chloe sure doesn't. She probably buys some weed from Frank because yeah, she's got a dependence on the stuff now. She gets into a fight with a couple of dudes after spilling beer on them.... but what's this?

Oh look, it's Rachel Amber. Y'know, the pretty, popular, talented, smart, perfect, charismatic girl from Chloe's school?? yeah, she's at the concert and saves Chloe from the dicks who attacked her, and the two girls spend the rest of the concert together.

Now, for some reason, Chloe isn't sure but Rachel has taken a special interest in her. Rachel is flirty, she wants to know who Chloe is, she asks her to skip school with her, and the two take a ride on a train to a park and... honestly? pretty romantic, and it plays into that escapism fantasy thing of having the pretty girl who everyone likes single you out, making you feel special.

Over time, the girls grow close. Rachel has some family problems and seeks comfort in Chloe. They spend nights walking together down empty streets at night, holding hands. They hang out and talk about the stars, they discuss Shakespeare and what it's like to actually be your true self, if there's actually such a thing. They get tattoos together, and Rachel helps Chloe color her hair. They have a special hideout they decorated together in the junkyard. Rachel spends the night at Chloe's enough that she ends up leaving a lot of clothes there. They daydream about running away together, long road trips and living big in LA.

Chloe starts to see Rachel as her angel because for the first time since Max, she feels like she has someone she can be open and honest with. Rachel almost seems too perfect to be true, y'know?

And hey, over time Chloe actually starts to kinda get her life on the right track, if not in an unconventional way. Sure, she's still dealing with losing her father. that's not something she'll just get over... but she does start making an effort with her mom, and yes, even David after he told her about his time in the army and gave her that photo. They both know they'll never be friends, and they'll still have arguments, but they'll at least keep the peace for Joyce's sake.

It's not all perfect, though. Chloe's still smoking and Rachel isn't always the best influence. They get into trouble here and there, but nothing super serious.

She dropped out of Blackwell so that her mom didn't have to keep paying her tuition and because she's fixated on this fantasy of running away with Rachel. Chloe's feeling good about herself, about her future, for the first time since her dad died.

Until Rachel disappears.

And everything goes to shit pretty quick after that. Rachel's gone, she's not answering calls or texts, and everyone keeps saying that she probably ran away, but Chloe knows better. She knows Rachel wouldn't leave without her, so something must've happened. She makes posters and puts them everywhere, but things only get worse.

Money is tight. Joyce isn't making as much as she needs at the diner, David isn't making enough as a security guard, and hey... they might lose the house... the house that was once Williams, that's a piece of him he left behind. Not only that, but where will they go?

Chloe doesn't want them to lose the house, or for her mom to be this stressed out over food and bills. Chloe borrowed money from Frank in hopes of using it to run away with Rachel, but with her missing... Chloe decides to give it to her mom in order to save the house. Joyce is alarmed that she has this much, but Chloe manages to lie her way out of it to give her mom some peace of mind.

Except now she has another problem- she can't pay Frank back and he's getting more aggressive about it as the weeks go on. Rachel's still missing, Frank's breathing down her neck with threats toward her mom, money is still an issue at home, and she's not in a good place. Chloe's desperate enough to steal... so when she makes it into a bar that doesn't card her and she sees rich boy Nathan Prescott drunk off his ass and flashing bills, she thinks it'll be an easy score. It's wrong to do this, it's dangerous, but Chloe justifies it to herself. She needs that money.

She didn't expect Nathan to drug her drink, and she wakes up to him taking pictures of her. She manages to get the hell outta there, but she still has no idea what the hell happened to her. Like.... that reeeally fucks with her, it doesn't even feel real. She can't tell anyone, she can't tell her mom, and the police won't do anything since they're under the Prescott thumb.... and well, she decides to blackmail him.

And we all know how that goes.

So... we have the highs and lows of Chloe Price. She's flawed, even starting out as unbearable, but over time she becomes more nuanced and you're invested in what happens to her. You want to see her better herself, you want her to work through her grief and get help, you understand why she hates David but when you see him and Joyce happy together and him make an effort to be better, you want to see them make amends. You know David doesn't want to replace William, hell HE knows no one ever could.

You want Chloe to keep going, to find purpose in her life and realize her own potential. You saw her at the beginning when she was broken, when she was lost and didn't see a future for herself, and it's satisfying to see her come this far to where she knows she has a future... something that becomes all the more tragic when you remember her fate in the first game.

You're invested in Chloe and Rachel's romance, you get giddy watching them flirt and do dumb, romantic, cliche things, and you're just as compelled by Rachel as everyone else. No, she's not perfect, she's not a stereotype, she's much more layered than that and it only breaks your heart when you realize that she's killed later on, that of course she's going to go missing... you already know that! So you're watching Chloe, who has gotten pieces of her life back together and is genuinely happy.... fall back down the pit, fall back into the habits she had at the beginning, and you know it will lead to her downfall.

.....TOO BAD BEFORE THE STORM DID FUCK ALL WITH THAT RIGHT?

Nope, you don't get any of that. Well, except Chloe being cringy. You get a lot of that.

No, no, we got edgelord, flanderized Chloe who thinks her wit is much greater than it actually is, whose terrible moments outweigh the good, and who doesn't grow or change no matter what influence you try to have over her.

Rachel could be replaced with a literal barbie doll and little would change. She has no charm, she's nothing like what she was described in the first game, and she's just so fucking unlikable. When she finds out that her mom isn't actually her birth mom, she claims that her whole life is a lie and her parents aren't real and she wants to meet her druggie mom who chose drugs over her for 15 years because she's the one who actually squeezed her out.

Which, by the way, WHY is this the goddamn plot?? Why did they feel like they had to shove in this "oh hey Rachel's dad is the bad guy, oh wait now this drug guy is the bad guy because he stabby Rachel, no wait now her dad is the super bad guy because he put a hit out on Rachel's REAL mom, oh no wait it's fine because Frank murdered drug man off screen" WHY YOU DO THIS??

You have three episodes. THREE. And in those three episodes, you have the opportunity to explore Chloe as a character, and her relationships with Rachel, Joyce, and David. But instead of dedicating the story to that, something you could've created a compelling narrative out of, you threw in this dumb mom plot and fire-

HOW THE HELL DID I FORGET THE FIRE????

What- why did- does she have- Rachel just- RACHEL SETS THE FOREST ON FIRE??? WHY THOUGH???

I get it, "Rachel is the fire" yeah yeah and it's dumb.

Oh and because we didn't have enough going on, here's a side mission where you gotta deal with getting money from this other kid who's running drugs for big bad drug man because he wants to help his dad who lost his job.

But WAIT, there's more- In a series where several girls were drugged by Nathan and Jefferson, forced to pose for pictures, and some even killed or driven to try and take their own life? something taken so seriously...? Victoria gets drugged and it's treated like a joke. Even worse, there is a path that has Rachel drugging her, and no one cares.

ALSO.... Rachel cheated on Chloe with two adult men, remember? One of which fucking murders her?? and we're just... we're just not gonna do anything with that??? Nothing??? Maybe a little stinger at the end but that's it????

I just..... I hate this game so much.

It had so much potential. Not only that, but it had the first game to look at and learn from. Learn from the mistakes that game made and improve upon.... but instead, they fucked up even worse. It's just a game of fanservice that has way too much going on, is trying to do too much, and loses focus on the most important things.

Three episodes could've been enough to explore different points of Chloe's character before the events of the first game. They could've crafted a story that gave more insight into her life that make sense of the choices she made, that turn her into the Chloe we see in the first game. You don't need a forest fire, you don't need evil lawyers. I know the first game had the storm and time travel and big dumb Jefferson, but you wanted to tell a story that's grounded without shit like that... y'know, before the storm.

I could probably go on and on if someone doesn't stop me, so I'll stop myself here... I hate bts because it's potential was there, I could see it in a few key moments, and it was wasted.

The romantic ideas fall flat because being pretty and gay isn't enough for me, I need more than that. I don't care if they kiss because I don't care about their relationship, and frankly, they've done very little to make me care about them as individuals.

UGH

.......does that answer your quick question? haha sorry for the not so quick answer, but like I said, this game makes my brain mad and once I get going, it's hard to stop.

[ljf613]

Sorry, I didn't notice the numbers repeat: 28 Fluff

28. “Can I stay here tonight?”

Just as he found a corner to stash the last box, he heard a knock at the door.

Who on earth is that? He’d made sure to keep this move as quiet as possible-- he’d sworn his family to secrecy, and hadn’t told anyone else. (He knew that the news was bound to get out sooner or later, but he just wanted a few weeks of peace and quiet to focus on his work, first.)

Maybe a neighbor who saw me moving in? Sighing, he pushed a strand of hair out of his face, and opened the door to his new apartment.

And blinked.

He recognized the girl on his doorstep. Of course he did. He’d always had a good memory for faces, and the gray-eyed brunette with the widest smile he’d ever known was hard to forget, even without the bright blue tattoos on her hands and face.

“Welcome to Republic City, Huan!” Ikki said, handing him a bag that smelled delicious.

“Uh… hi?” He wasn’t sure how to say what are you doing here? in a way that didn’t sound rude, so he just quietly led her to the small table in his new kitchen and unpacked the dumplings, listening as she jabbered on about her brothers’ latest antics.

“-so then Meelo overheard your aunt talking on the phone with your mom mentioning that you were moving up here this week, and he told me, and I did some digging and found your address. And of course I couldn’t show up empty-handed.”

Huan nodded, grabbing a couple of plates and gesturing for her to sit down.

“So why did you move here?" Ikki asked around a mouthful of food, looking curious.

"I'm working on an exhibit for the art museum," he explained.

"Really? That's so exciting! What sort of pieces are you working on? When is it going to be ready? Are you planning on staying in the city afterwards? Is your family going to come? What about-"

Huan smiled as he listened to her. She was so different from everyone back home. None of his siblings were particularly talkative, and his mom was the only one who really cared about his art, so having someone who wanted to talk about him and his work was like a breath of fresh air.

After they finished eating, Huan stretched his arms, yawning. It had been a long day, and he really ought to get some sleep.

"Thank you for coming over, and for the dumplings. They were delicious-"

"I made them myself!" Ikki said, grinning proudly. "It's a new recipe, so I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but it ended up pretty good. I'll have to make them again sometime."

"Good idea," he agreed. He hadn't known she liked to cook. Then again, he hadn't had a real conversation with her in years. "It's getting late-- can I walk you home?" He really didn't feel like going out right now, but his mother would never let him hear the end of it if he let a young woman walk home alone in the dark. Not that he had any idea how to get to Air Temple Island.

"Ummm…" Ikki looked down at her hands, looking suprisingly nervous. "Can I stay here tonight?"

"What?" Huan had no idea how to react to that. Why on earth-

"I really don't want to go home right now!" Ikki explained, sighing. "I got into a fight with my dad, and he's being absolutely impossible! If I go back now, it's just going to be a whole mess, and I'm too tired to deal with it tonight, and-"

"Alright, I get the idea," he said, raising a hand to interrupt her rambling. He'd had plenty of times he hadn't wanted to be around his parents or siblings, especially when he was in his teens, so he understood where she was coming from.

In theory, he didn't have a problem with letting her sleep over. He had a comfortable couch in his living room that she was more than welcome to. However…

"How old are you now? Fifteen?" If she was a minor, he couldn't let her stay, at least not without her parents' permission, and he didn't have a phone.

"Sixteen," she said. "I'll be seventeen next month." Which meant that she was old enough to make her own decisions about where she wanted to sleep at night.

"Okay," he said. "One night. And I'm going to need to unpack in the morning, so-"

"I'll help!" Ikki interjected.

Huan smiled ruefully. He'd never liked people messing around with his stuff, but he had a feeling it was going to be impossible to say no to her.

But somehow, if it was Ikki, that didn't sound so bad.

Send me a prompt

[hollyhomburg]

I'm fairly confused about this entire situation, honestly. I saw the original girl comment about whether or not she was entirely sure to feel comfortable on a page meant to do that exact thing. In my opinion (which is fairly confused atm), you were both in the wrong. Of course, you don't have to answer anything about your gender or whether or not you have certain body parts, I can definitely understand that! But the extra meanness was a bit uncalled for. They just didn't want to feel unsafe :/

Also, everyone deals with pain differently. Whether or not if it's something that seems a bit pushy or not. I feel for both sides of this weird miscommunication, I really do. I guess that's just my inner-understanding lol. So yeah, I feel for you! I know what it feels like to go through things that annoy you and cause disruption amongst your inner self, but my heart also goes out to the girl that was painted as a transphobe when all she wanted to do was feel was safe.

P.S, this was absolutely not coming from a place of anger! It is your choice whether to insult me or realize that people have different opinions; I will understand if either one is chosen! I wish you well, and if the girl is also reading this, I wish you well too and I really do hope that you get closure and understanding because I've also gone through something similar to what you have. It's so painful, but stay strong and you'll be able to say that you came out of it alive :)

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First off, I want you to know that the anger in the response is not directed at you the asker of this question. but at the person from last night. second, I’m probably not going to respond to any more asks on this topic, because I'm tired. 

okay so let me put it this way for you. you would not under any circumstances pull down Anyone's pants to check their genitals in public. right? or demand that they pull down their pants for you and expose themselves in a public way just so that you can make sure they don’t have a penis. 

The fact of the matter is that someone else's genitals are none of yours nor anyone else's business. And asking about this is not only violating and transphobic but also inappropriate. (I shouldn’t have to clarify that this is transphobic at this point. before you want to argue that- do your research, google is free).

what you seem to misunderstand is that transphobia is an act of aggression. to be transphobic is to cause trauma, to trigger, to be violent. this person asking me about my genitals was an act of violence. and I responded like it was one- with meanness that was called for because I felt hurt. because what they said was hurtful. 

as someone who has never felt safe in my entire life, both because of abuse, rape, and my identity- that doesn't give me a right to threaten someone elces safety because my safety demands it. each and all traumas are valid, and just because they wanted to feel safe on my page doesn't give them a right to take away my safety. especially because this is my page and my safe space that I have created with hours of uncompensated work. So no- they don't have a right to take away my safety and security for their own.  

asking on anon is also a little sus, they didn’t reach out through dm- which is how all things of a personal nature should be. they knew there was a possibility I would take it wrong and didn’t want to be blocked from my page. they feel entitled to my work and entitled to my body in the same way. i wont apologize for trying to preserve this page, and I won’t apologize for acting for matching their level of meanness. 

when you have trauma there are so many things that are triggering for other people that aren’t triggering for you. The real world doesn't come with specific trigger warnings and you have to eventually come to that conclusion with trauma, you will be triggered for no reason at one point, and its a sad fact but it will happen. 

for example- one of my triggers is piano music. to this day I can’t watch my favorite idol play piano because it is too much of a trigger to me. 

But I would NEVER insinuate that min yoongi needed to stop playing piano music just because at one point in my life my stalker would blast piano music outside my bedroom window at 3 am to keep me from sleeping for weeks at a time. or because I was constantly sleep deprived growing up because he wouldn’t let me sleep- my triggers and my reality are irrelevant to min yoongi enjoying the thing he enjoys, just like that person’s trauma is irrelevant to my own. It would be mean and uncalled for me to demand he stops doing something he loves just because it's a trigger for me. People will exist outside of your trauma and that's okay.  

(tw; rape) I’ve been rapped by three men in my life. One was a frat boy in college who I woke up to telling me my hole was bleeding and wanted me to leave because I was getting it all over his sheets. another was a old man, it happened when I was so little that I barely remember it and honestly, all I remember is how much it hurt and how dirty his hands were, he had a lot of dirt under his nails and I remember thinking ‘i don't think that should go inside me’ as a fucking 5-year-old

And the third, was three years ago when an American gi rapped me in hongdae, South Korea, I met him at a bar called mikes cabin. I wasn’t a perfect victim, i’d just had a fight with my soulmate and I went out looking for trouble and I found it. but after I changed my mind he didn’t care, he shoved his dick in my ass without my consent. I bled all over his sheets too. choked on the blood coming out my nose after he slapped me. i remember he shoved his phone in my face to take pictures. somewhere out there there are pictures of me getting raped and I don’t even know where they are or how many people have seen them. 

I don't even know his name only that he had a rose tattoo over his heart. my deadnames middle name is rose. My mom calls me ‘rosebud’ or ‘rosie’ more than my dead name. is it a trigger for me? yes. it is. of course, it is. how could it not be?  

I’ve been raped. i know what they’ve gone through, I know where their pain comes from but my pain is valid too. my genitals could be a trigger to that anon, but defining them in a binary of woman and man is a trigger for me. I am a person and they are a person and both of our triggers are equally valid. but this is my place. this is my expression. 

so why did I act meanly? first off. they violated me by asking me invasive questions and demanded a response. and then secondly; when I asked them not to and told them no- they invalidated my consent and my trauma. then thirdly- they misgendered me- fully committing to being a transphobe. that's why I was mean- because they were mean first.  

this is the only time I’ll explain why I was justified. I hope they get closure too- but their closure isn’t going to come from violence against me or any other trans person. one day that person is probably going to meet a trans woman, and I hope they know better than to call them a boy just because they have a penis. trans people aren’t your punching bags for your trauma. 

trauma doesn't give you the excuse to be a transphobe, no matter what happened to you. you have to learn to treat others with dignity and respect no matter their gender identity or how they trigger you. Because people can’t control what parts of themselves are triggering to you. 

This is the last I’ll talk about this. I'm gonna delete all the other asks asking me about this. I’m not going to talk about it anymore. if you can’t understand why what they did was bad, get off my page. I don’t want you here.