#one of those nights ya kno ..........

[helluva-simper]

The urge to write a fanfic was too strong

So I am awake right now with the need to write a fanfic that i really need someone to make a actual fanfic out of because my hopeless romantic ass needs something to relate to. So here ya go.

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      You were lying horizontally on the armchair in the lobby of the hotel. You were reading one of those romance books you called, “The source.” The source of what, they may ask. Wel, they never get an answer. Before they can protest you change the subject. 

      You were feeling kinda restless tonight so you decided to chill in the lobby till you felt tired. 

       “He silently chuckled before grabbing her by the hips hearing a small gasp escape her lips. A hand rose and rested on her cheek, slowly caressing it. 'You look stunning.’ (Male character) said with a grin. (Female character) rolls their eyes as they grab his collar and-” “What's got you up so early?” A voice from behind you questioned, making you jump and quickly shut the book like some teenage boy trying to hide their weird fetish from their parents. 

        “O-oh, Alastor. It's you. I was just reading. Didn't feel tired, you know?” You tone screamed how nervous you were even without the complete book throwing moment. Well… not actually. The book rested on your stomach but it felt like it. Alastor hums reaching for the book, grabbing it before you could stop him. “I'm guessing this is some romance story you found?” Alastor asked, examining the book. You weren't surprised by the comment though. Those were the only types of books you read. What did they call those types of people? Oh, yeah. Hopeless romantics. 

        Not saying your partner wasn't great at being your… well partener. But there wasn't much- no. There wasn't any touch in your little arrangement. They thrived off of pure words and small gestures. Which was absolutely nice, especially from them. Who are they? Well, they're standing right in front of you reading the back of the book with an unreadable expression. 

         Alastor hums before placing the book back on to your stomach. “So.. You like… those types of books?” Argh! This man! Why did he say it like that?! You just wanted to strangle him. Yes, your book has its spicy scenes but nothing Angel dust would reenact. You chuckle nervously. “Y-yeah. I guess they just interest me.” You replied. And God! It sounded so wrong. “I mean like the plot. The plot is good. Because you kno-” You were quickly interrupted by a cold, yet soft plush against your lips.

           Your eyes widen when you notice what, or shall I say whom, is causing it. Alastor. Alastor was fucking kissing you. You couldn't believe it. Yeah, you two were pretty much dating but he never wanted physical touch of any kind. At least that's what you thought. Now you kinda feel a bit stupid. 

              You wrap your hands around his slender waist since he has to lean all the way over just to make it to your face. 

                He breaks the kiss standing all the way up making you reluctantly pull your hands away. He offers you his hand. “Now, Darling! Let's get you off to bed!” He says as you grab it. It pissed you off how nonchalant he was acting after all… that. And how warm your face felt.

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I wrote this on google docs without rereading it or writing on paper 1st so I apologize if it's shitty. Because its like...

in the goddamn morning. And my phone is literally on 2% so yeah. Night! Also if created Plz give credit 😜

[itsgrimeytime]

Home is Where the Heart is (Part One) || Farmer!Rick Grimes (TWD) x Teacher!GN!reader AU

AVAILABLE ON AO3

Inspiration: Like Real People Do by Hozier.

Summary: Your life was spinning out of control, you knew that. After a string of particularly shattering events, you decided it was time to start anew. With a little help from one of your Grandma's rentals, you found yourself in the small town of Alexandria. The last thing you expected was your neighbor, Rick Grimes.

TWS: starting over, and identity crisis.

[[A/N: Thanks to @imaginemyfavoritefics for the name idea. The vibes of this are hallmark forward, so expect something rather cheesy. Thanks for reading!! ]]

You weren't running, you rationalized deep in your head -almost as if on instinct. You were an adult, you could deal with adult problems -like relationship issues, you just wanted to... you just needed a break. A breather even. Plus, they needed a teacher -it was practically destiny.

So, why did it feel like you were running?

You hadn't had a serious job in Atlanta, just an assistant, and as much as you loved those kids, you needed to do your job. When it felt like everything was going wrong in the world (and it was-), you still had teaching. It felt like what you were supposed to do, it was a reprieve from... everything else. So, even with a fresh start, you still needed teaching.

The transitions between cities bright against the landscape into more timid more rural areas was something you found somehow conflicting. You'd spent the last few years in the city, busy nights with a constant buzz of noise -cars honking, people talking, street performers... As it got quieter, there were fewer people on the road and the tall buildings turned into trees scrapping the sky; it was all a little surreal.

And it struck you then, you weren't scared -not really. Not scared to uproot everything and start over, it made you wonder bad it had gotten without you knowing.

"Okay," you hummed, turning down a sort of suburban road -houses every little bit, but much farther apart than the tight compression of a culdesac, "-1259, little white house-"

Your Grandma had called you at least 10 times ensuring you'd remembered the address -as if it wasn't written in your GPS. But as it turns out, back on these roads, just off what you assumed to be the town center, Google had no fucking clue where you were. So, perhaps you should thank her, actually.

"1259," you muttered, again -eyes focused out your passenger side, trying to see the addresses, "-little white house-"

And then, someone tapped on your driver's window.

"'Ay, ya need somethin'?"

You spun around in your driver's seat quickly, matching a man's -tall, brunette, brown-eyed. He wore some assortment of a leather vest and seemed to have been busy prior -you could see the dirt dusted under his fingernails and staining his jeans. The second thing you noticed was his tone wasn't friendly.

Maybe he thought you were nosing around in something you shouldn't.

"I, uh, yeah-" you rolled down your window, -briefly wondering how long it had been since you met somebody new, "-I'm trying to get to 1259? It's a uh, little white-"

"No, no," he echoed -interrupting you, less confrontational, "-I kno' the place, got a friend 'at lives near ya. Just follow me."

And without another word, he waltzed off in front of you -focusing succinctly on a motorcycle. An old one, by the looks of it, well-maintained though -maybe there's an auto shop around here?

The purr of the engine was loud, even through your rolled-up windows. Something in you had expected heads to pop out of windows -words yelled, so when they didn't... you assumed he was a regular here.

Cranking your car, you slowly cruised to follow him. He seemed to be attentive to you being behind him -driving slow when you were certain it had seen far faster speeds. Maybe even earlier today actually-

You appreciated it, nonetheless.

It was a short journey, a few more turns, and a little bit more driving down roads aimlessly. All things considered though, you were very close to the center of town -where everything was sold and the only stores miles in any direction resided. So, you could work with it.

That being said, where the house was wasn't exactly suburban. There weren't pristine sidewalks and crosswalks, or only little patches of grass here and there. You had a yard -a flourishing yard with trees and flowers and just... open space.

The neighbors were close enough that you could see the house -a surprising sort of light blue paneling, but you could definitely see that their fence far surpassed your own. Their yard seemed almost to last forever, you could even see a barn far back from the back of the house -red, yes, but very worn by the weather, and if you truly listened you could actually hear the shuffle of some livestock.

Okay, so next door to a farm, you told yourself -lightly, -totally can do this.

Without another thought the man pulled off to the side in front of you -making way for you to pull into the driveway. A smooth sort of ease on the bike that made you assume he had years of practice. He certainly looked the part.

You got out of your car, roaming close to him at a comfortable distance (for him or you weren't sure). He didn't seem the type to want strangers close, but then again you weren't really, either.

"Thank you," you started, kind of awkwardly but you were meeting someone new so you let it slide -tone taking a casual sort of amusement, "-I appreciate the help. I know I would've been out there for hours if-"

"Don't sweat it," he echoed -kind of coldly but you didn't know him well enough to assume he meant it that way, "-anythin' else?"

"Uh," you started, "-the Elementary? It's back by the center, right?"

"Yep, can't miss it," he answered, shortly, "-if ya need anythin' else, I'm only a few houses down. Otherwise, people 'round 'ere are pretty friendly."

You smiled -at your very first success, "Okay, thank you, really... uh...?"

"Daryl," he puffed out -making no effort to move from his motorcycle, "-Daryl Dixon."

"Y/N," you offered back, "-Y/N Y/L/N."

And without another word -only a single swift nod of his head, he was gone. It was such a quick exchange that you almost thought for a moment you dreamed it -that you'd somehow gotten the memo of where the house was and he didn't exist at all. Which, to be fair, at the rate your brain was firing could definitely be plausible. You were a mix of something between relentlessly tired from the drive, and insanely stressed because well... You'd just up and moved your whole life for good reason, but still.

"Everythin' alright?"

You blinked and were met with yet another unknown face. Not that you expected to know anyone here -other than maybe a few faces your Grandma had stories of. But this man... you would've known him.

Tall with a head of brunette curls matted in a sort of dirt -the same dusted across his shoulders, you guessed, and encrusted into his fingernails. His eyes were a sort of blue that you considered people write poems about and along his tan jaw was a big bushy beard -something about it was untamed. Like he hadn't cared to brush through it that morning, or maybe just hadn't cared for it for a while. Still, somehow he looked good. Handsome, even.

"Oh, yeah, sorry-" you started -trying to calm the flush of him just waiting while you downright ogled him, "-I just, I got some help finding my new place. Kind of zoned out there, but I'm... I'm fine, really."

He raised an eyebrow, intently, "Ya sure?"

"Yeah, yeah," you softened slightly at the concern his tone held -something in you aching in realizing you hadn’t been concerned over in so long, "-just tired. 'Been a long drive."

"Where'd ya drive from?"

"Atlanta," you answered -far easier than you intended to (there was just something about him-).

"A very long drive," he chuckled -low timber of his voice rattling through your bones (something in you stiffened -not again), "-ya need any help with anythin'? I got some free hands."

"If you're not busy," you countered -exhaustion a distant rattle in the back of your body, ever present.

"Nah," he reassured, blue eyes flickering over you, "-I got stuff 'at can wait. If you don't mind waitin' a minute, I can get my son to help too."

"Well..." you responded, slow and awkward, "-thank you."

"No, really," he echoed, "-ain't a problem. I'm Rick, by the way, Rick Grimes."

You smiled, maybe a bit less of a polite one and more genuine then, "Y/N, Y/N Y/L/N. Do you... Do you live around here?"

Rick laughed -a sort of deep chuckle that mostly felt warm in tone as he roamed towards some of the boxes, "Yeah, I'm uh... I'm actually y'er neighbor."

"Oh," you echoed out, as he seamlessly picked up three -like it was as light as a feather, "-really?"

"Yea'-" he spoke, hoisting up the boxes slightly and you suddenly realized just how snug his t-shirt was, "-blue house, big farm-"

And despite the flatline of your brain then, you still managed to remember the large plot of land right next to yours. The beautiful blue house was his, of course it was-

Handsome, strong, probably married neighbor, you tsked yourself -remembering the mention of a son, -totally can handle this. Totally cool with this.

This trip wasn't to ogle neighbors, it was to care for yourself and start fresh, and further your career-

"You okay?"

"What?" You startled in place, merely jumping actually, "-oh, yeah, just... a lot to do. And even more tomorrow."

He tilted his head slightly, eyes sweeping over you -like he couldn't read you, "Take it day by day, 'sure it'll all work out."

Correction. Handsome, strong, caring, probably married neighbor, you ran through your head -words anything but at your leisure.

God, you were so fucked.

[moraysoiree]

homesick

Just my idea of what it feels like to be far away from home.

characters: Floyd Leech x gn!reader (platonic, could be read as romantic), mentions of Jade and Azul word count: 1134

Ramshackle dorm prefect’s life was in no sense easy. Sitting through classes and thinking how you can’t even put all this knowledge to good use because of your ‘magiclessness’ was, for lack of a better term, pure torture. Thank god the classes ended, finally granting you some freedom to wander off in hopes to lift your spirits by hanging out with one of the strange people that were in abundance here.

To your glee, on the way to the first floor you noticed a familiar figure on a terrace just a flight of stairs below: one of the eel guys was standing there, leaning against the guardrail with slumped shoulders. Given the idleness, figuring his current mood was no big feat. The chance was worth taking, though.

‘FLOOOOYD!!’ you started skipping down excitedly, not even bothering to get to the floor and jumping off the middle right onto the unsuspecting victim. ‘Shrimpie!’ wide-eyed, Floyd still managed to catch the falling anvil and laughed, spinning from the momentum. ‘Ye gonna kill us one day,’ he grumbled. ‘I wish I could kill you that easily,’ you pinched his cheeks, causing the displeased eel to click his teeth in a mock threat. ‘A point. You little fishies, on the other hand…’ he trailed off. Both went on to lean onto the banisters, laziness afloat in the sunny spring air. The mood wasn’t as bad as expected. Or, rather, improved rapidly, for that matter. ‘Sup with the classes,’ you tugged on the lilac ribbon hanging from his forearm. ‘Skipping, huh? What would Azul say?!’ you covered your mouth, appearing to be scandalized. Theatrical jests usually amused him, but not today for some reason. Or was it Azul’s name that got on his nerves? Either way, Floyd wasn’t really in the mood for talking, so the clue was taken and both stared off into the distance silently. And was there a lot to stare at, as college’s balconies had the best view onto the sharp cliffs, mercilessly slicing the rumbling waves into white foam.

Something occurred to you, and you asked, fidgeting with the very same ribbon still: ‘Say, don’t you ever get homesick?’. Floyd tore his eyes off the sea and gave you a thoughtful glance, ‘Mm-hhm… not really. There are a lot of things on land. I think Jade got it worse’. ‘Jade?! How come?’ It was hard to believe that Jade, who navigated human society better than the majority of humans, was, in fact, facing some trouble adapting. ‘S’ not like he doesn’t love it here, too, I mean. But y’know how he goes to wander by himself and chew on his plants or whareva-you-call-it. That’s different from me. Gets melancholic ‘nd all.’ Floyd sighed and stretched, crossing arms behind his head. ‘And you don’t? Like ever’. ‘Don’t think so? Lotta interesting things just keep happening around. This school is kinda special tho. Many fishies to squeeze, and jumping right into my jaws, too,’ he shut his eyes in delight, but his general expression shifted into something more sinister, something ascending from the murky depths, prowling and lurking. ‘Kinda like home. Ya kno’ it’s crazy down there. You can never stop or rest. Unless you wanna be eaten, ‘course. Same here,’ he waved at the Night Raven College’s walls. ‘So your bloodlust is what keeps you going? Should’ve known better,’ you scoffed, and Floyd rolled his eyes. ‘Mean! I like many of your things, like clothes, and phones, and the strange food you have. S’ not like I only care about beatin’ up some krill,’ you eyed his messy uniform doubtfully and pondered whether the eel really liked clothes as much as he claimed to.

‘But you’re like Jade, aren’t you, little Shrimp?’ Floyd snapped you from your thoughts forcefully, and you noticed he was staring at you sharply. ‘You get those sour moods and sigh a lot’. Look who’s talking about moods!? But he was right, although it came as a surprise that such things didn’t escape him. He’d always seemed too caught up in his own emotions. Or was it precisely because of it that Floyd had noticed the way his friend was a bit too quiet on one day and a tad too distant on the other... ‘I love you all, but I didn’t really choose to be here, and I don’t even know if there’s a way to go back. Even if there is, will I survive with people overblotting left and right and making it everyone’s problem?!’ Floyd laughed. ‘Nothing to laugh about in my life’, you sighed. ‘You would be shocked how hard it is to live without the little things, like my favourite songs, or the trinkets I’d collected, or the bakeries I’d always visited’. He was listening silently, letting you get it all off your chest. ‘I had friends back home, too. Will I ever see them again? Do they miss me, I wonder.. Maybe I died in my world and got isekai’d here so there’s not really a place for me to return to at all?!’ Floyd scrunched his face up at your outburst. ‘Now you sound just like Firefly Squid.’ Then, however, his expression became serious. ‘You know, Shrimpie. There are a lot of things in this world that are out of our control. You can have a down-to-the-minute detailed plan, covering the next forty years, but what use will it be if a shark gobbles you up tomorrow? You should value the ‘now’, or ya risking to miss all the fun n’ regret it later,’ his hand ruffled your hair. ‘I get that it ain’t easy for ya to be all gung-ho about it all the time, but that kind of thinking is just a waste. Say what, how ‘bout we go make Crowley get his game up with your homeworld instead? I can squeeze him real tight if ya wanna.’ You thought about it for a solid moment, seriously considering the offer. ‘I’m good. Spare the unfortunate soul, he’s got his plate served to him from people throwing hands last week’. ‘And who’s to thank for that ya think?’ Oh. Of course. ‘What a spectacular friend I have, rushing to avenge me before I even ask!’ The phrase might have been a joke, but you put your genuine gratitude for the so much needed reassurance into it. To that display of emotions, Floyd’s eyes glinted mischievously. ‘So you saying you owe me one?’ You regretted your choice of words instantly. ‘Come ooon, ain’t gonna eat ya, Shrimpie. Not yet, anyway. Speaking of food… What a rad way to repay me, huh?’ ‘Mostro Lounge?’ Floyd groaned. ‘Heell naaah if I see Azul today I’ll punch smn. Hard.’ So it WAS about Azul, in the end. ‘Canteen it is then. Takoyaki?’ ‘Ya know me best, Shrimpie.’

[novantinuum]

Fandom: Steven Universe Rating: General Audiences Words: ~7.3K Summary: “Connie, can we talk?” When a much needed moonlight conversation with his best friend turns into an attempted (and failed) "spring break” from all his responsibilities as a half-Gem, Steven finally comes to terms with the full truth of his heritage and all six thousand years of its consequences. Takes place between The Question and Made of Honor.

It's been five long years, but I've finally finished the second chunk of this old ass Steven Universe wip. See, this is why you can't discount the possibility of a fic author coming back after goddamn years, HAH. Because sometimes we sneak up on 'ya. Anyways, enjoy!

__

Chapter 2

Steven scales the sand covered steps with a hop and a skip, the mere possibility of getting to spend the night at Connie’s enough to make him float across the boards, his toes barely touching the surface. Finally, a real, legit Jam Buds sleepover! Where they can play games and muse over deep philosophical topics and laugh over stupid nonsense until the whispers of dawn, and then sleep in until noon the next day— the promise of blueberry pancakes wafting into the room to awaken them from their slumber like a golden fried miracle. In their almost two years of being best friends, somehow they’ve never had a real one. At least, not a real one in his books. He doesn’t count their weekend stay on that jungle moon because they were fused the whole time. And then the one other occasion he slept at her house, during that blizzard a year ago, they were sequestered to different rooms and barely got to hang out at all.

This time, though… this time things will be different. That is, if her parents even allow it. The fate of their sleepover is still sadly riding on a big ‘if.’

But he has high hopes tonight! Tonight Dr. Maheswaran allowed Connie to come over to Beach City on Lion even though it was past her normal curfew. Adding to that, she’s been getting more and more lenient about her daughter’s involvement in Gem stuff as of late. Her frantic demand for texted updates every half hour has since softened into a far more palatable brand of motherly concern. At this point, she only asks that she send a quick notification right before she leaves his house via bus, Lion, or warp pad.

He swings the front door open, entering the very beach house in question. Or— put more specifically— his own ‘room,’ just external to those held in the heart of the temple. Beyond the wide mouth of the attached cavern, two out of five of the gems on the temple door are alight. Pearl and Amethyst’s. He smiles, glad that they’re all finally seeking the rest they deserve. Now, as for the others… Though he doesn’t boast any clairvoyance of his own and thus can never know for sure, he likes to believe Ruby and Sapphire warped away on a romantic walk.

Absentmindedly humming the melody from that song he was working on earlier, he slips his phone out of his pocket. He needs to text his dad where he’s going before he completely forgets in his excitement. (A common occurrence, really.) Even if he doesn’t live with him in the van anymore and goes on a whole bunch of dangerous missions across the planet all the time, he knows Dad still appreciates knowing if he’s planning on being outside Beach City overnight. Ease of mind, and all that. His fingers blaze across the keys.

hey just so u kno im headed to connie’s for the night

He presses send, and watches his message pop up in a blue bubble on the screen. After a brief pause, he quickly adds:

love u dad!!!

Steven garnishes the text with a colorful slurry of heart emojis, so frequently used that they all show up on the very first page of his emoji keyboard as suggestions. There, perfect. Send!

He sets his phone down and begins gathering necessities for the night. Out comes his cheeseburger backpack and a fresh change of clothes. His phone charger too, can’t forget that. Next he swipes his toothbrush, toothpaste, and a comb from the bathroom. (Although upon second thought, he decides to forego the comb.) A few bags of Chaaps go into the bag, along with his GameKid, in case Connie wants to pass that go-kart racing game she likes back and forth and compete for the fastest time trial. That just leaves one more essential item to track down. Oh pajamas, where are you in a young man’s time of need?

As he scours the loft for the missing clothes item, he hears the tell-tale sign of the temple door opening. His head spins around at record pace.

The laughter clues him off before he even sees their faces. The two Gems exiting the temple are nearly buried under an assortment of burlap bags and tools, among which include shovels, rakes, and handheld garden hoes. He can just barely distinguish the word ‘fertilizer’ printed in faded ink on one of the four bags.

“Oh ho, we’ve got to get you some cheesecake sometime,” Amethyst says to the green Gem next to her with a peel of laughter. “Trust me, you haven’t lived until you’ve felt that custardy goop sloshin’ around inside.” She drops the stack of fertilizer bags, which hit the floorboards with a resounding thud. “Oh hey, look who’s back!”

He grins wide, waving from his loft.

“Hey Amethyst! Hey Peridot!”

“Good timing, we were totally just gossiping about you.”

Peridot pokes her head up over the mass of metal tools she carries, eyes blown wide under her visor with her usual untamable enthusiasm. “She was telling me how you’ve really been the progeny of Pink Diamond this whole time. Hah! I guess this means on technicality I never rebelled against the Great Diamond Authority after all!”

Steven’s smile falls flat, his grip on the backpack growing taut at the sudden mention of his mo- of Pink Diamond in this context.

Thankfully Amethyst is quick to sense the tense shift in atmosphere and steps in. “Nah, believe me, ya’ still did, ya’ nerd.”

“Oh. Well!” She presses her lips into a thin line and lets the tools fall out of her arms, mentally directing them to hover just before they hit the floor to minimize the clatter. “Never mind then! I…” Her cheeks flush with hardening light. “I think I need to step aside for a moment.”

The two youngest Crystal Gems watch in silence as Peridot hurriedly toddles back through the open temple door, disappearing beyond a mini mountain of junk in the vast trash heap that is Amethyst’s room. He glances down at his hands, still clenched tight around the straps with a white knuckled grip.

Amethyst noisily clears her throat. In an instant his attention shoots back up, meeting her sympathetic gaze. “Sorry ‘bout that,” she says. “I don’t think she really gets how big a deal all this is, yet.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” he replies with a small shrug, the tension that once wracked his body slowly easing. “She’s still learning. I bet the news is pretty confusing for her, coming from Homeworld.”

And with that his attention slips back to the puzzling and peculiar mystery of his missing jammies. He presses his fist to his chin, humming a bemused note. They aren’t anywhere to be found on the floor, or in the hamper. Maybe they got stuck under his bed spread?

“Oh, Steven,” Amethyst says with a long sigh then. He watches from the corner of his eyes as she flops face first into the couch and props herself up on her side. “You care too much sometimes, y’know that?”

“Yeah, I know…” he murmurs softly, whisking his comforter completely off the bed. At that point he catches a glimmer of soft cottony blue— tucked tight in the tight space between the mattress and the wall— and his entire mood makes an abrupt heel turn right into joyous relief. His brow rises high. “Oh, hey! So that’s where my pajamas were hiding! Mystery solved!”

“Sometimes way more than people deserve,” she continues unhindered, lazily winding her fingers through her hair.

The pajamas go right into the cheeseburger backpack, joining everything else he’s packed for the night. Across the room, the temple door still stands ajar and waiting. Every once in a while the sound of clattering metal rings from within Amethyst’s room, accompanied by nasally yelps of frustration. Peridot. He imagines she’s attempting to harness greater control over her metal based telekinesis abilities, training hard in isolation as a means to cool herself down from embarrassment. To make up for what she sees as a social blunder, perhaps. Or… to impress the group with a show of what she’s truly capable of. The whole scenario is intimately familiar. About a year and a half ago— before Lapis, before the hand ship, before all the happenings that molded him into the person he is today— he stood directly in her place. The newbie. The proto Crystal Gem… with unreliable powers, low confidence, and little understanding of the truth. When all is said and done, this little spark of himself he recognizes within her makes him far more willing to give her the benefit of the doubt with her awkward phrasing.

“I don’t think she meant anything by it, if you’re still talking about… all that.”

“And you’re probably right, but. It’s okay to get… mad, y’know?”

Something in her voice gives him pause. Maybe it’s the measured hesitation in her words that clues him in, or the desperation lurking just beneath. In any case, he has the niggling sense that this is something she’d been thinking about for a while.

“Like, in general,” she continues. Even though Steven isn’t looking at her, he can nearly sense the intensity of her gaze through the little hairs rising at the nape of his neck. “Forget all of this— you’re allowed to get upset about stuff. To put yourself first for once. Just sayin’.”

His eyes narrow, more in prolonged exhaustion than anything. Just as he informed Connie, it seems that Amethyst is still on that ‘Operation: My Duty is to Make Steven Feel Better’ kick. And good grief, does he wish she wasn’t. He’s never once asked any of the Gems to spend their energy on him like that. In fact more often than not, it simply makes him concerned that she’s deliberately shirking her own self care in favor of supporting his.

Stars.

Amethyst deserves so much better.

His pocket buzzes, providing a well-timed escape from all these thoughts. A text! He grins as he pulls out his phone to catch a glimpse of it:

Stay safe and have fun, kiddo.

Dad’s message ends with a thumbs up emoji. Sweet, now to gather his stuff, ask Amethyst where everyone else is so he can say goodbye real quick, and hit the-

“Steven, Steven!” Peridot yells, barreling into his room at a full sprint. “Look what I can do now!”

He gasps and quickly scuttles down the stairs to meet her, happy that she’s no longer confining herself to the lonely isolation of the temple. “New metal ability?” he guesses, confirmed by her wide proud grin. “Show me, show me!”

Even Amethyst’s interest is piqued, the Gem casually kicking her feet over the side of the couch as she sits up with a groan.

Still running at them, Peridot flicks her hand in the air, motioning in a tight circle as a little gardening spade follows her telekinetic command and wildly swings around her head in a razor straight arc. “Look how much control I have now! I even- EEEUGH-!”

In an instant, her foot catches on the same pile of tools she dumped on the floor earlier.

Peridot must have lost mental control of the spade as she tripped, because suddenly it’s careening straight at Amethyst’s head. Without a second thought, Steven dives in front of her. He raises his arm in instinctive defense, but truthfully he hears the resonant clang of metal against hard light before he even consciously registers the fact that he’s summoned his shield. Another clang sounds, this time against the wall’s crystal. Amethyst yelps. Something dubiously aerodynamic zips over their heads at a thousand billion miles per hour as all three of them duck.

The window by the door shatters into oblivion. The tool to blame, however, is now insidiously nowhere to be seen.

Recovering, the three of them gawk blankly at the scene of their crime. Steven fidgets, absolutely at a loss for what to do next.

“Uhh…”

“Ooops,” Peridot mutters, spilled out face first on the floor.

Amethyst breaks out into raucous peals of laughter. “Dude, that was awesome!” she says as she holds up her hand to the other Gem for a high five. “I’ve never been almost poofed by gardening equipment before!”

She shakily raises her own hand to accept it, vision still clearly unfocused as she rides the shock of it all. “I, uh— you’re welcome?”

The temple door peels open again. Peridot scrambles to her feet in seconds, falling into line with the other two co-instigators. Out rushes Pearl, who practically crumbles to bits right then and there upon seeing their dumbfounded expressions and the shards of glass littering the floor.

“What on Earth happened?” Pearl screeches. “Is everyone okay? Why is the window broken, who—!?”

As quickly as it began, her fit halts. Steven figures that the sight of them uninjured is reassuring enough to quell the bulk of her panic. Still, there is the rather damning issue of all the damage they caused. Fearing their goose is cooked, none of them dare avert their eyes from the elder Gem. Pearl glances back and forth between their sheepish, guilt stricken faces and the busted window, pursing her lips.

Relenting, she crosses her arms and sighs heavily.

“I guess I’ll let Greg know it needs to be fixed. Again.” And with that she spins on her heels. She pulls her phone out of her pocket, swiping through her phone contacts. “Thank goodness he’s rich now…”

The moment she passes back through the doorway, Steven, Amethyst, and Peridot all gasp in relief. 

“Well that just happened,” he says, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. He can’t help but laugh. The purple Gem boisterously joins in right behind him.

“I legit thought P was like, gonna implode for a second,” she chimes, so tickled by amusement she has to gasp for breath midway through. “I don’t think I’ve seen her so pale since— since that time you straight up sacrificed yourself to Homeworld!”

His mouth presses into a slight frown at the grim reminder, his own laughter cut short.

Peridot rolls her eyes. “Eh heh heh, yeah! Laughing at poor, humiliated Gems! How hilarious! I’ll have you two dirtbombs know that my technique was absolutely perfect when I was practicing by myself.”

“O-oh, sorry,” Steven cuts in quick. “We didn’t mean to sound like we were laughing at you. I honestly think it’s super cool, how much you’ve improved at all the metal stuff!”

She squints at him. “Hmmph.”

Crossing her arms, she drifts into the corner by the bathroom to sulk and lick her wounds.

Steven’s chest tightens as he climbs back to the loft to grab his backpack. Gosh, he hopes they didn’t hurt her feelings too bad. He slings the straps over his shoulders, the weight settling comfortably on his back. Watching from below, Amethyst serves him a mischievous, knowing smile.

“So, backpack man. I never asked. You and Connie. You’re bailing us for an extended breather too, huh?”

His brow raises. He leaps from the upper level, landing right beside her.

“Wait, you know about—?! Aww man, am I that predictable?”

“Nah, Sapphire just said earlier that you might go stay with her.”

“She predicted that,” he says, deadpan. “That’s literally what a prediction is.”

Peridot ambles back towards them as they banter, still looking a bit sullen but overall in higher spirits than before.

“But dude, chillax, I ain’t judgin’ or anything,” Amethyst says before his worries could wander too far. “Honestly, I think everyone needs a break after all the… well, you know.” Grinning, she loops her arm around the other Gem’s shoulders. “And hey, ol’ Peridactyl here and I are skipping town for a day too. We’re gonna go on a rampage!”

Ever the troublemaker, she gives her a noogie, loose fist flattening the meticulously maintained edge of her platinum hair. Peridot flushes dark green and squeaks, flapping her hands at her in a futile attempt to evade her attack. He can’t help but giggle at the sight. Nerds.

“We’re actually checking on the garden we cultivated at the southern edge of facet 3,” Peridot explains while fixing her hair. She runs her fingers through it, reshaping as needed. “Thus the shovels and fertilizer. But she also promised a duel to help me master my metal powers!”

“So we may be gone a while,” the quartz says with a wink, nodding towards the broken window.

“Hey! I’m not that bad all the time!”

“What can I say though, we shorties gotta stick together.”

“Woo, shorty squad!” Steven cheers, pumping his fists into the air. “You gotta show me this garden when I get back. I bet it’s real pretty.”

“It’s ultimately a work in progress,” Peridot says, puffing out her chest. “Just like my metallokinesis.”

Amethyst jabs a finger in the air. “Oh, and speakin’ of pretty. Before I forget…”

Mashing her lips together in concentration, she presses a hand to her chest, gemstone glowing as she pulls something from inside. He watches, enraptured as always, as a familiar half-moon shape emerges from within. Clusters of small, shimmering crystals catch the light, encased within a thick rind of stone. He lets out a gasp. The amethyst geode! The one they found together in that abandoned quarry while out on Ruby’s cowboy adventure! He completely forgot. Awww look, it’s like your little sister, he’d joked. He thought the way the glow of the sunset diffused through its complex faceting was really pretty, and so they decided to split it fifty fifty. Plus, something about that specific chunk of quartz simply resonated within him, to say the least. Like, in a deep “this should belong with me” sort of way. He’s not quite sure how else to explain it. He remembers his dad questioning with some measure of amusement why they, literal living Gems, would want to keep a geode of all things as a souvenir, but Amethyst merely shrugged and explained she was like, 99.9% sure it was inert.

Dude, she said, not every hunk of mineral you find is sentient. It’s not like it’s weird for you humans to collect dolls, or action figures or whatever. I just think it’s funky lookin’.

Standing before him in the present, she offers it for Steven to take. Peridot lets out an ‘oooo,’ dark irises glittering at the sight of the delicate purple crystals.

“Your half. I’m not carryin’ this for you any longer, man. Unlike ol’ P, I don’t make a good handbag.”

“Rude…” he says, taking the geode in one hand as he drops his backpack and unzips the hamburger patty pocket with the other.

“What? It’s true! She can store like, a thousand things in there indefinitely, but me? Go too long, and all I get is wicked indigestion.” Upon this declaration she belches, crude and unrestrained. This seems to tickle Peridot pink, who giggles something fierce. Amethyst gives her belly a pat. “Ahhh, that’s better.”

The geode nestles nicely between his pajamas and his spare underwear. Licking his lips with stubborn determination, he fusses with the zipper until the overstuffed bag is completely sealed. He doesn't need to pack this silly ol' hunk of rock, but… some stubborn part of him can’t bear the thought of leaving it behind, and anyways, he figures Connie will think it’s pre-

Oh… Oh shards! Connie! She’s been waiting on the beach this whole time!

“Oh shoot!” he cries, rushing to sling the bag over his shoulder again. “I, uh- I really gotta get going! D’ya know where Ruby and Sapphire went? I kinda wanted to say bye to everyone before I left…”

Peridot shrugs, and utters the wordless vocalization universally recognized as ‘I dunno.’

“Those two? They left to be all cute and gross like, half an hour ago,” Amethyst says. “I’ve no idea when they’re comin’ back.”

The moment those words leave her mouth, Steven hears the warp pad behind them activate. A wave of affection crests within him at the familiar sound of the Gem’s teleporter come to life- almost bell-like in its melodic resonance- and he swings around just in time to watch two of his most favorite people in the whole world take form from within the radiant blue glow of the warp stream. If there’s one thing constant exposure hasn’t dampened, it’s his fondness for that sound.

“Oh never mind, looks like they’re crashing our wild party right now,” the purple quartz amends. “Look lively!”

When the light fades, Ruby and Sapphire step off the warp pad side by side, pressed so inseparably close to one another they might as well have already been fused.

The backpack’s weight jostling as he moves, Steven dashes across his room and throws his arms around the pair, whooping in delight. “Ahhh, you’re here! You’re back! Just in time!”

“Steven!” Ruby cheers, reciprocating his hug in kind.

“Hello, Steven!”

Even with their faces currently obscured from his sight as he embraces them, he doesn’t require any visual to hear the smile evident in a familiar voice. Well, two familiar voices. But though they are currently apart, Steven knows Garnet is always there with them, kept alive within the spirit of their love. Love for one another, and for everyone else, too! In Sapphire’s voice, he recognizes tones of Garnet’s unconditional affection, as unyielding as the future stretching to the horizon before them. In Ruby’s, he finds an open playfulness, and a fierce passion running miles deep for every facet of life and experience she’s come to adore on Earth. In the end, Garnet is just as much a part of them as they are a part of her.

In a complete betrayal of her height’s assumed strength, the short red Gem lifts both him and Sapphire off the ground as they laugh, the weightlessness of the trio’s joy almost physically palpable between them.

“So, quick curiosity question,” Ruby asks soon enough, pointing at all the glass strewn across the wood flooring once she’s set them both back down. “What’s with the window?”

“That’s—” he glances towards Amethyst and Peridot, who are both shaking their heads vehemently, signaling for him to shush right this instant— “a very long story. Pearl said she’s gonna talk to Dad and get it fixed.”

Sapphire smiles, nuzzling into her partner’s side. “Don’t worry, love— it’ll be fixed well before our wedding.”

Steven’s expression folds into a nervous wince. He threads his fingers together, shifting on his feet awkwardly. “Oh hey, uh… about that… I know I promised to help y’all start on the planning tomorrow, but—”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Sapphire says, and holds up her gemless hand. “We understand you need some time apart from us, to reflect.”

Amid this conversation, out of the corner of his eye he catches view of Pearl exiting her temple room, phone in hand. An uncharacteristically dopey smile stretches wide across her face as she texts. From what little he’s aware of, she’s been meeting up with a few human women lately. He can’t help but wonder who the lucky someone is on the other side.

“Yeah!” Ruby eagerly chimes in response. “We can start all that whenever you’re ready. After roughing it in the wilderness with me, you deserve a break!”

“And Steven…” The clairvoyant Gem parts her bangs. Reflected in her singular ice blue iris is boundless love, and wisdom, and… and maybe, he realizes, maybe a whisper of sadness. “While we both acknowledge the importance of spending time away from loved ones to recollect oneself, please know that you will never be a burden to us. We’ll always be here to listen, if you want us to.”

“Thanks, that- that means a lot.”

Pearl strides across the warp pad to join their group.

“Good news! Greg has the new window on order,” she shares, lifting her phone to her gem and stashing it away in her headspace with a quick glimmer of light. “It won’t arrive until early next week, but that should give us more than enough time to replace it and clean up the house for the big day, don’t you think?” Her glance then passes to him, and she gestures at his backpack. “Oh, Steven! Are you going somewhere?”

“Just spending the night at Connie’s. I’ll probably be back sometime tomorrow afternoon.”

She crosses her arms, serving him a wide, knowing smile that would’ve had him rolling his eyes if he weren’t already in such a blissful mood about it. “Spending the night, that’s new!”

“Yeah,” he says, not able to help the slight nervous laugh that bubbles up from deep within the more he thinks about this turn of events. “Yeah! It’s gonna be so awesome.” He turns back towards Sapphire, threading his fingers together. “Hey, will I… do you think I’ll find what I’m looking for?”

The clairvoyant Gem hums for a moment, fingers pressed to her lips.

“Yes,” she ultimately responds. “But try to eat your ice cream quickly.”

“Wait, what?”

“And remember- we love you.”

“We love you a whole lot!” Ruby chimes.

“Yeah-ya,” Amethyst says, pumping her fist in the air. “Go take your break, little man. You deserve it.”

“And you’ve got to come visit our garden when you’re back!” Peridot adds, gently spinning a small bent nail she must’ve found on the floor in circles above her pointed finger.  

Steven laughs, pulling the straps of his backpack snug across his shoulders. “I’ll come check it out, I promise.”

The last person who steps closer to bid her goodbyes to him is Pearl. She strides forward to tuck a stray flyaway curl behind his ear, her hand then gliding down to rest against his cheek. He leans into her affectionate touch with glee, reveling in the knowledge that he’s wholly and relentlessly loved.

That he’s needed.

“Be safe, Steven,” she says.

“I’ll be fine. But please—” he wraps her in a tight hug— “don’t forget to take care of yourself too, okay? We’ve all been through a lot lately. And you for longer than most.”

Pearl gives a warm chuckle. “Look at you, always watching out for us. When did you grow up so fast?” They pull apart, and she briefly clasps both her hands on his shoulders. “I’ll be sure to let Greg know where you’re off to, okay?”

“Don’t worry, I already texted him.” Waving, Steven starts to shuffle his way to the exit. “Bye, everyone!”

An overlapping chorus of goodbyes sings back to him as he leaves. The very last voice he hears before emerging out into the brisk nighttime air is Amethyst’s:

“See ya’, Ste-man!”

The moment he closes the door he exhales deeply, allowing the weight of his Gem heritage and all the responsibilities and unspoken expectations that comes with it to slough from his mind like grains of sand between his fingers. No crises, no monsters, no more constantly holding his family together on his own. He’s only recently realized how much the others have relied on him for morale all his childhood. Thankfully, through every hard fought battle- be that literal or interpersonal- they’re getting better and better at taking care of themselves.

And starting tonight, he’ll commit to taking care of his own emotional well-being too, by taking some much deserved ‘me’ time.

Well, ‘me plus Connie’ time. He’s left her waiting long enough.

She sits on the beach right where he last saw her, leaning against Lion like he’s a big, soft, purring beanbag. He can’t help but grin. Lion himself may object, but as far as Steven is concerned, this is a pretty apt description.

Connie stands as he jogs those last steps towards her, and effortlessly slings herself on the magical creature’s back. Lion rises on his paws as well. “You ready?” she asks, offering her hand.

“Yup!” He gives the overstuffed cheeseburger on his back a pat. “All in here! Sorry I took so long.”

Their fingers connect. With a brief grunt of exertion Connie’s grip tightens around his wrist, and she pulls him up behind him. Truth be told, he doesn’t need help climbing on Lion’s back at all, with his floating ability. But his best friend is strong, and so thoughtful… and though he might burn to cinders if he ever admits it out loud, he’d give up anything for an excuse to hold her hand.

“It’s fine,” she says, scruffing the top of Lion’s head. He purs, leaning into her touch. “The two of us have just been stargazing out here."

“Hey, uh... your mom knows I’m coming over now, right?”

“Umm…”

The mild panic that flashes over her face says it all.

“You didn’t tell her?” he asks in shock, more surprised than anything else. Ever since the hospital incident, Connie and her mom have grown closer and become a lot more honest with each other. Or at least, so he thought.

“Well, I haven’t told her yet. It’s just- she already bent her rules to let me see you tonight. I’m kinda… worried that if I ask in advance over the phone she’ll say no. But I’m also worried she’ll just say no anyways... y’know? Aughh, maybe this isn’t a good idea after all.”

She groans, and buries her face in Lion’s cotton candy mane. Steven frowns. His heart thrumming with concern, he rests his palm on her shoulder.

“Hey. I’d love to have a sleepover with you, but only if you’re comfy with it. I’d hate for you to feel pressured into doing anything for my sake.”

“No, no… it’s not that I feel pressured,” she says, voice muffled and tiny. “I’m just… so scared of getting in trouble that it’s hard to even talk to her some days. I don’t even know why!” She lifts her head, revealing glossy eyes. He swallows. The sight of a friend on the edge of tears is always a punch to the gut. He’s seen far too much of that in recent days.

Taking a deep cleansing breath, she gazes towards the sky- towards the boundless cosmos they can’t reach on their own- as if she dreams she may find the answer she yearns for somewhere among those stars. “I love my parents,” she continues, “but it’s just- sometimes I feel like I can’t ask them for anything. That I still have no control of my life at all. I’ve come so far with them on that, on them not hovering over me 24/7, but then I just- just get so paranoid about things, and-! Gahhh!” she cries, gripping the hair at either side of her head. “Compared to everything you’re dealing with it’s dumb, I know.”

“It’s not dumb,” he says. “Everybody’s going through tricky stuff all the time. And just because some of it may seem less heavy compared to everything else, it doesn’t mean it’s less heavy for you.”

“Yeah…”

“And hey— worst case scenario, if she says no, I’ll just come over and see you tomorrow. No big deal!”

“Yeah,” she repeats, her countenance lightening ever so slightly. “I guess you’re right. What’s the harm in asking?”

“So… Jambuds night still on?”

“Oh, it’s on,” she grins. “But before we leave, one question—”

“Yeah?”

“A few minutes ago… Was that a gardening spade that flew out the window?”

“Yup,” he says with a nervous laugh, wrapping his arms around her midsection as Lion begins to sprint across the shore. “That was Peridot. Don’t ask, I don’t really understand how it happened either.”

~~~

Steven and Connie give a sharp yelp of glee as Lion exits his portal and skids to a rapid halt right in front of her parents’ home.

“Man, I don’t know if I’m ever gonna get used to that,” Steven quips, sliding off the feline’s back and holding out his arm to help his friend down. “It’s just like the roller coaster at Funland, except three times more awesome!”

“And more scary,” Connie adds, accepting his offered aid as she hops to the ground as well. “‘Cause like, at least the Thunderbird has a lap bar.”

Lion serves the two of them a dull grumble, his tail flitting around every which way as he stalks his way across the quiet neighborhood street towards the Maheswaran residence.

“Aw, no!” he says, rushing forwards towards the curb and running an apologetic hand through his fur. “I’m sorry, bud. We didn’t mean it like that— you’re perfect just the way you are, lap bar or not.”

But before he can move one more footstep up the path to their front door, Connie stops him by the shoulder.

“Wait—”

He fixes his gaze square on her, barely even breathing as he watches his friend’s anxious glance shift from Lion, to him, to the homey glow of the living room window. Hmm. It seems Dr. and Mr. Maheswaran are still awake, even at this late of an hour.

“Let me handle things in there… okay?” she requests. “I don’t want any of my silly nonsense becoming your burden, too.”

Steven nods, and pantomimes zipping up his lips. An extra flick of the wrist is all it takes to lock them up and throw away the key.

She gives a faint sigh of relief at his agreement, and lowers her hold on his shoulder until the very tip of her pinkie is dancing along the outer ridge of his hand. Clueing in to her silent ask, he interlaces their fingers together, squeezing tight as a show of camaraderie and reassurance. He hums, and tilts his head towards the doorway.

“Shall we?”

Connie fishes her own key (a real one, not metaphorical) out of her back pocket. “Well… here goes nothing,” she says, interlaced with a soft, nervous laugh.

She unlocks the front door and pushes her way in, tugging him along. (Yawning, Lion plops himself down on the front lawn, apparently holding zero interest in facing what comes next.) Steven can’t help but sweat as he steps through the frame and promptly matches eyes with her two very not thrilled parents sitting side-by-side on the couch. Of the pair, her mother— with her arms crossed and expression taut— seems the most irked. He swallows, tugging at the collar of his shirt. Oh geeze, this can’t be good. The last thing he wanted when he called up his friend tonight was to get her in trouble!

Connie doesn’t even match eyes with them as she scurries on past, instead leading him straight towards the stairs.

“Hey Mom, hey Dad, I’m back!” she blurts out in a flustered hurry. “I brought Steven with me and he’s gonna stay for the night I hope that’s okay with you, I promise I’ll leave my door open, okay, goodnight!”

Dr. Maheswaran springs to her feet, expression blown wide with frustration.

“Connie. Connie Varana Maheswaran, get back here this instant!”

Steven stops in his tracks right along with her like he, too, were sitting in the hot seat. The hairs at the back of his neck prickle with nauseating dread as his friend lets go of his hand and— despondent, gaze wholly fixed upon a segment of carpet that’s fraying at the joint right where it meets the hard wood floors of their entryway— steps forward to accept her fate. Her mother continues, tone softening with a weighty dose of parental concern.

“When you texted you’d be back in ‘a few minutes,’ your father and I expected that to mean five. Maybe ten, at most. Not almost thirty. Connie, we were worried sick that something happened to you out there. You have to keep us in the loop if you’re going to be out so late.”

Her father nods in agreement, still perched on the edge of the couch. He leans forward as he prepares to add his ten cents, clasping his hands together with his elbows perched atop his knees.

“If you want us to continue to loosen up your curfew like you’ve asked,” he says, “you’ll need to prove to us that you can be responsible.”

“And this?” Dr. Maheswaran throws her arms out. “Was not it.”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Connie cries, gripping even tighter at the strap of her baldric as she makes her case. “I really, truly thought it was only gonna be a few minutes! But then Steven was trying to pack some stuff, and I completely lost track of the time, and I—”

Her mother serves him a sharp gesture, brows threading tight. “And why exactly is he here so late in the first place? You know we have a strict rule against boys sleeping over.”

Steven swallows, feeling for all the world like his flip-flops are glued to the floorboards amidst his deep embarrassment at this mess. Yep. There it is, just as she predicted earlier. Oh boy. He almost wonders what the odds are of him spontaneously developing some sort of super-boosted diamond invisibility power out of nowhere, because right now he craves nothing more than to phase through the walls and disappear from this whole confrontation entirely. Stupid, stupid, stupid… he should’ve never agreed to come here tonight in the first place.

Connie, however, doesn’t seem so easily deterred from their mission.

“Mom, please listen,” she says, tone soaked with desperation. “Some crazy Gem stuff happened the past few days and he says he really needs some time away from his home right now, so I thought that maybe we could—”

“Absolutely not.”

“But it’s not like he hasn’t spent the night before! Remember the last—”

“The last time was just an exception because we were snowed in.”

“Yeah, but- a snowstorm’s not the only reason someone might need a different place to stay!”

Dr. Maheswaran plants her hands upon her hips, voice raising in volume. “Young lady, I’ve already bent the rules enough for you tonight. When I say no, I mean no.”

Biting at the inside of his lip, Steven resolves to just see himself out. After everything he’s witnessed within his own family unit the past few days, he really, really doesn’t want to watch this argument unfold any longer than it has to. He reaches forward to tap at her shoulder, inhaling shakily through his nose.

“Uh, Connie, I—”

“Oh come on, please?” she outright begs, smashing her hands together as if in prayer. “Just one night, just one more exception to your rules for Steven’s sake, that’s all I’m asking. One!”

The two of them proceed stare at each other with iron cored intent, both scrying the other’s features for any exploitable weaknesses, both daring the other to bend to the other’s resolve. Steven clenches his jaw tight as he glances back and forth, watching this silent showdown unfold like it’s some sort of abstract, emotion-based tennis match.

And then— a true blessing— Connie’s father (who he’s starting to suspect is the natural balance to her mom’s strict rules) finally steps in.

“Honey,” he says while rising to his feet, voice as calm as the midnight tide. “Remember that night in San Carlos…”

At his side, Connie visibly cringes.

He has absolutely no idea what the significance of this ‘San Carlos’ place is to Dr. Maheswaran and the others, but the mere reminder of it seems to be enough to bring them all to a state of heavy pause. Her mother clenches her fist tight at her side, squeezing her eyes shut as she reflects upon all the (unknown) relevance of her husband’s timely comment.

Then, all that tension snapping like an over-stretched rubber band:

“Fine. Fine,” she relents, lifting a finger to rub at her temple. “But… not in your room. We’ll set up the couch instead. Now, go get in bed. I expect to see lights out in five, all right?”

A surge of palpable relief courses across his friend’s features.

“Yes, Mom. Goodnight. Love you.”

She steps forward for a quick hug and kiss, which her mother returns in kind.

“Love you too,” she hums, clutching her safe and close for just a beat longer than usual. “Even when you do drive me crazy sometimes…”

Connie moves on to embrace her dad, who presses an affectionate smooch to her forehead, before crossing over to him. She wraps her arms around him tight, nestling her chin against the crook of his neck as she— no longer weighed down by the intimidating burden of a thousand nebulous what-ifs— softly exhales all that pent-up stress and anxiety against his ear.

“Well,” she whispers, “it’s not exactly the sleepover we hoped for, but- you’ll be okay?”

“Yeah, your couch is real comfy!” he says, making his voice as chipper as he can muster despite his slight disappointment. Pulling away from her hug, he reaches up to adjust the slipping strap of his backpack on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll just be downstairs, and we can still have tons of fun tomorrow. Anyways… nighty night.”

A slight smile creeps its way upon her lips as she slings him her rhyming response. “Don’t let the robonoids bite?”

“You betcha!” he chirps, throwing up a pair of finger guns.

Connie giggles bright and clear before spinning on her heels and twaddling on up the stairs, pausing for the briefest of moments at the landing to glance back at him with a grin and a slight blush. He waves her off.

And then… as she disappears around the corner to get ready for bed… there were three.

Not super sure what the proper etiquette is when one enters a friend’s house totally unprompted and pressures their parents to adjust their rules on the fly, Steven flashes them a nervous, closed-mouth smile.

“So…” he begins, shuffling upon his feet.

But thankfully, he’s not forced to think of a continuation to this utterance, because Dr. Maheswaran sees fit to take the reins of conversation for him. She visibly deflates, pressing a hand to her temple as she vents air through her lips.

“I’m sorry you had to watch all that,” she apologizes, sliding her glance between him and her husband. “It’s just that… this isn’t something we normally allow. But I suppose, as with everything, that sometimes making the best decisions as a parent means growing with the times and adapting your own rules.”

Steven gives a wholehearted nod. “I understand. Thank you,” he says in earnest, “for letting me stay here tonight.”

“Anyways… I’ll go find some blankets for you,” she hums, and strides down the hall with renewed purpose.

The living room plunges into complete silence as she travels upstairs, leaving him alone with no one for momentary entertainment but Connie’s dad, who he admittedly hasn’t interacted with much on his own and thus isn’t sure how to make casual small-talk with yet.

Mr. Maheswaran clears his throat, noisily and awkwardly. “So… it’s been a rough couple of days for you, eh sport?”

Rapping his fingertips against the worn straps of his backpack, he rocks back and forth upon his heels. “Yeah, you could say that…”

~~~

Deep within the folds of his overstuffed bag, that amethyst geode he socked away earlier pulses with a quick burst of energy. It manifests in the form of a low level frequency too high for human ears to pick up on— just one chime, at first. Then two.

Three.

Four.

Steven, even with his Gem heightened senses, doesn’t pick up on it. Perhaps it’s because he’s deep asleep, or perhaps it’s because his body is too organic in build to properly intercept the signal. But either way, it doesn’t matter. The consequence is still the same.

This geode— unbeknownst to him or Amethyst an old rebellion tool intended to aid in luring unsuspecting Gems into traps with its irresistible song— continues chiming for hours and hours, its piercing melody calling out to the lonely night in perpetual harmony.

And far, far in the distance… hundreds of miles away… something lurking within the folds of the inky darkness calls back:

Mine.

[castlecult]

Hi if you're still taking request for matt x reader, how about they're neighbors and really good friends, matt dates a lot of girls but just suddenly matt sees her in a different light and realizes he loves her and just became adorably awkward around her and maybe become jealous/protective when someone else tries to pursue her, thank you sooo much ❤😊

an : hello !! thank u for sending a request <3 hope you''ll like it even tho i think i mixed the order lmao i just went with the flow i guess but it’s probably a mess jeez, have a good day / night btw !!

warnings : jealous!matt, reader feels insecure about her body, very protective matt, foggy appears once & karen is mentioned once i think, matt “i don’t deserve happiness” murdock, paul, the guy pursuing reader, is an asshole btw but we don’t talk too much about him… that’s all i think LOL + not proofread as usual

you were about to open the door to your apartment when a feminine laughter filled your ears, followed by a voice you learned to recognise everywhere.

“you’re so funny,” she said chuckling. you sighed and finally opened the door. “hello, y/n,” matt’s voice stopped you. you turned and met his figure, accompanied by that of a young and very beautiful woman. “hi,” you muttered, forcing a smile once you noticed the girl by his side was silently studying judging you. “have fun, mh?” you said before walking inside and closing the door behind you, leaving matt standing there.

his smile, the one he always has when he meets you, disappeared, rachel – the girl who came home with him, grabbed his arm to call his attention. “matty??” he nodded and went to open the door, entered inside followed by her and turned for a second towards your apartment. he heard your heartbeat and the hiccups and felt a strange sensation inside his chest.

you were used to matt coming back home from a night out with his friends, foggy and karen, with some company, but that night it was different, you felt some pain in your chest, your feelings were confusing.

—

another night, another girl.

another beautiful and perfect girl. matt couldn’t see them, but you could… and it was a punch in the stomach every single time. you sorted out your feelings for him, you liked him, but how could you stand a chance against all those women?

but you couldn’t forget that genuine smile, that beautiful voice, his care for you, the funny comments, the friendly chats in front of your apartment, the occasional shared take-out.

what matt didn’t know was that he was falling for you too. for your voice, your daily “how was work?” or “had a good day?”, asking if he’s okay after seeing his bruised face, the way your heart always skipped a bit when you hear matt laughing. these feelings for you, he tried to put them away and forget it completely, because he knew you were too good for him and he wasn’t good enough for you, you deserved better, much better… and matt? oh, he was destined to keep distance from others. he couldn’t go further than what you two have at the moment, he couldn’t risk to destroy it.

—

one night, things changed.

matt just got home from work, he entered his apartment and closed the door. then he heard you, you were laughing.

“thank you for the night, paul,” you thanked and hugged him, shyly. matt listened closely, wondering who was the person you were talking to. “we should do it again, right?” paul caressed your cheek and kissed your nose, making you giggle. “yep, see ya,” you smiled and waved at him.

matt heard the door opening and closing soon after, then he heard that paul guy. “that was easy,” he chuckled and started walking down the stairs.

he clenched his fists, but soon tried to gain some self control. it wasn’t his business, he wasn’t meant to listen to that in the first place… was he?

after that, you and matt rarely spent any time together, he always missed you for a moment, disappointment filled him every single time. you were, most of the time, accompanied by paul. were you two dating? matt didn’t know, but again it wasn’t really his business.

you were out for lunch with paul, he held a reservation for you two at a tiny restaurant not so far from your working place. matt was here too, of course. he recognised you the moment you walked into the restaurant, your cute voice and the sweet perfume. he played with the fork, getting foggy’s full attention. matt didn’t heard him at first.

“matt?” foggy snapped his fingers in front of his face, making him flinch. “what’s going on?” he asked, worried. “uh, nothing,” matt resumed eating and ignored foggy’s question then. his hearing was focused solely on you: your voice, your laugh, your heartbeat. you seemed a bit off.

“alright, what are you listening with so much interest, mh?” foggy sounded annoyed but also worried, because matt’s face showed he was annoyed. “three tables behind me, the girl… can you see her face?” he asked, tapping his fingers on the table. “uh… yes, do you know her?” foggy stared at you but tried to stay unnoticed. “she’s my neighbour.”

foggy silently nodded, then glanced at matt. “she’s texting someone now,” he informed him, but matt already knew you were using your phone. “put that away, i waited so long and now you’re ignoring me,” paul’s voice filled his ears and he cringed, your heart skipped a beat – it wasn’t the same when you were with him, and you quickly apologised.

“i’m going out of town for a few days, once i’m back we will look for that apartment i was talking about, okay?” he said. “yeah, don’t worry,” you nodded and stared at your plate, half empty. matt could feel something was off, but he didn’t exactly knew what it was. was he good for you?

a spike of jealousy rushed through him when he heard paul kissing you, holding your face with his hands. foggy noticed his reaction and cleared his throat. “i wonder if you came late or if you ignored it until the seat was already taken,” matt turned completely towards foggy’s face.

“we both know i’m not good for her,” he confessed, half hearing you and paul walk out the restaurant after he paid for your lunch. “and here it is! you should let other people decide if you’re good or not for them. think about it alright?” foggy sighed and gulped down his glass of water. “i suggest a chat, if you meet her again.”

matt silently disagreed with foggy, but somehow he found himself knocking on your door. he felt awkward, waiting for you to open the door, you haven’t talked in a while and it felt strange.

you opened the door, probably expecting someone else. you stared at matt for a moment before actually speaking. “h-hello matt, what can i do for you?” you asked, biting your lip. “sugar,” you kept staring at him, trying to find some sense in what he said. “i need some sugar,” he added, then. your cheeks heated up quickly and you let him enter, helping him. “sorry, i-i was working and you know, when you focus so much on something that the rest starts making no sense.”

you looked for the sugar and a little plastic bag to give him, matt standing there waiting. he didn’t respond, so you thought what you said was stupid and sighed, focusing on the sugar instead.

“you’re seeing someone, huh?” matt tried to have a chat, sounding casual. “paul? yeah, kinda,” you nodded and started filling the bag. “i hear him sometimes… is he good?” he asked, you glanced at him out of curiosity. “what do you mean?” you muttered, chuckling nervously. “i mean, he’s a good partner? caring, sweet, and all that stuff,” he shrugged, you met his eyes, losing yourself for a moment. “kinda.”

that’s it.

“so you’re dating?” he asked, more serious. “n-not exactly, i mean he’s okay, most of the time, but um,” you put the sugar jar away and then glanced at matt again. “you seem so interested, can you tell me the reason?” you crossed your arms over your chest. matt changed position, nervously. “i hope he’s treating you good, i want you to be happy that’s all,” he replied, his words surprising you. “you sound like someone wishing their partner happiness with someone else, or something…” an awkward laugh escaped your mouth. matt noticed just now that he could have used different words.

“it’s funny because… i used to like you, i mean i probably had a crush on you,” you chuckled, deciding to open up about it. “it hurt me seeing you with all those girls back then, because i always felt out of place… my body is so different from theirs and i already knew i couldn’t win against their beauty.”

your words hit matt right into the face. your crying was because you thought he would never like someone like you. bullshit.

“you know i’m blind right?” he chuckled. “well, yes? but you can touch them, you will surely feel the difference,” you replied, sounding a bit cold. “i don’t care,” matt cleared his throat. “i care about your voice, about the way your heart always beats a little faster when i laugh at your jokes, about your asking about my day, about the chats we used to have. i can’t believe that you’re less than them, wanna know the reason?” matt walked a bit closer to you, leaving you speechless. “because y/n, you are so much better, trust me, and i’ll accept it if you’re not interested anymore… because you deserve someone better than me and what i have to offer.”

his words weren’t making sense, for now at least. was it real or were you just daydreaming about matt confessing his feelings for you?

noticing you weren’t saying anything, matt decided to put distance between your bodies and was ready to leave the apartment before you grabbed his arm, stopping him. “no, wait!” he turned around and you gently grabbed his face, meeting his eyes. matt wished he could actually see your eyes, meet your gaze. “you didn’t tried anything because you thought you weren’t good enough?” you asked, wanting to be sure you got that right. matt silently nodded.

“oh matt, you’re so… stupid! i can see by myself if you’re good for me or not,” you said, your hands still holding his face. “is paul good, then?” he asked, taking you aback. you hesitated, before shaking your head. “i want to try… if you want the same,” you whispered, slowly letting him go. your face burning with embarrassment, your stomach upside down from the turmoil of emotions going through your body.

“i-i think i want it too,” matt replied after a few seconds, deciding that foggy was right. you could decide by yourself if matt was right for you, and he silently promised to not hurt you and destroy whatever was about to develop between you two.

an : okay if you’ve read till the end, i wanna say thank you hehe it wasn’t making any sense to me but probably because i wrote it late at night in my bed while feeling sick, so i apologise ( i hope matt’s not out of character … ). that’s all for now, i’m sorry it’s taking me so long to write down the requests received ):

[foosybit]

Mayoi in PriPara Outfits Part 1

this is a suuuuuper long post cuz i did 2 drawings for about 20 outfits????? so here's the best ones so u dont miss anything by not actually going thru them all o7

but woooo !!! basically i've been on a long journey rewatching pripara very slowly so it's kinda seeping into my brain so i wanted to mess around with what outfits mayoi would go for if he went 2 pripara !! if u want a teal eyed version that also isnt split into parts, heres my pixiv post

last few things to say b4 i start, hello 3 pripara fans on my account, no boypara outfits cuz i didnt grow up with that (the last op i remember is the 6th one and i dont think im anywhere near that yet in my rewatch), honestly i have no clue if there's even proper boypara outfits??? i just know it exists idk anything about it, and if u see placeholders thats cuz i wanna keep the 3 image layout, thats the only reason why lol. and outfit descriptions will go below the art of the outfit. ok time 2 start !!!!!!

Petit Devi from Holic Trick Classic !! this was the first one I did back on.... Janurary 2nd lol. I have yet to see Mayoi in a bright pink but u know what, my executive decision says he deserves it. hi 3 pripara fans on my account again, i should also say most of these (like this one) will be from the arcade stuff cuz i just picked stuff i liked from the wiki's coord list

Sexy Girl from Holic Trick cuz Mayoi's the sexiest girl i know !! from now on all the coords will be from Holic Trick (an in-show brand) cuz 2bh w y'all i mostly just browsed Holic Trick for this whole series of drawings cuz im not going thru all those dam coords. although i've done 2 short skirts so far i do think mayoi'd like longer skirts more, but pripara likes short skirts more so so be it o7

Gothic Check !! the grey shirt and black jacket is kinda giving fs2 4star vibes so this would be the fs2 4star if enstars were cool (wore pripara outfits)

Modern Coffee Maid !! I was thinking of maybe changing the color but i liked the way the orange contrasts with the purple making it look kinda halloweeny :] I also have a personal bias towards brown i luv that color !! but ya if i had 2 say, he'd probably be a 3star if this were a set, kinda vaguely fits him but not enough to be under the spotlight imo

Classic Trump !! Sophy actually wears this in the show and i think it's so cute i wonder how the other alka members would style the vest in their own way (im 2 lazy 2 do that myself yawwnnn) in fact mayoi himself would probably prefer longer sleeves but u kno, stayed tru 2 the original n stuff, anyway say hello to bright pink again mayochan

Sparkling Jellyfish Sophy !! hi kanata hi fish wife hi nata hello nata hi nata whats up nata i love u nata

Nin'Nin Among the Water from Baby Monster !! when i saw this outfit i was chained to my tablet the demons were holding me hostage i had to make the ninja association wear it or i'd suffer a public execution

My Design Holic Trick !! back to holic trick for the rest again :] this is the one i posted on its own hehehehe it's still the one i put THE most effort into (which is why it's the only one i bothered to sign, still dont repost the rest tho please and thank u im just lazy) cuz man its a vibe its so good its one of my favs still i love stupid shorts and the puffy sleeves with the cropped vest and black and purple and the heart and bows and keys which are kinda all reasons i also like mayoi (heart in mayois vibe comes from his big heart muah) bless u mayoi i luv u

Night Navy !! mayoi loves to kill artists in cold blood with random intricate patterns (or maybe thats just an enstars thing in general) so i knew i had to give him this dress. gave him an undershirt cuz what if he gets cold :[

And that's it for this post !! I've now reached the image limit, so see ya in the next post !! (sorry foosybit followers for triple posting i didnt realize i drew so much)

[msftsn]

@intcritus : ❛ you don’t have to be awake to cry. ❜ quotes that broke me : yae & antoine.

he doesn't open his eyes, does not dare to look at the kitsune when he knows tears stain his face and he certainly seems like a mess. he thought he was over it; thought that now even after his memories had slowly started falling into place, that even with all of his past resurfacing he was over it. what was done was done, and all that. and yet he can't help it, can't help the fact that sometimes he finds himself staring into nothingness, or that he will startle awake in the middle of the night barely suppressing a horrified scream. that he can barely conceal the terror and dread that threatens to overwhelm him whenever specific memories come back up. he hates it, wishes he could tear this self-perceived weakness out his chest with his own bare hand, and yet here he was, feeling a gentle hand on his head, grounding him to the moment as he relaxes visibly. as the tensions leaves his body. a low rumble, akin to a hum, leaves his chest while antoine goes lax. it's okay. he's safe. he's safe. she's here. it's okay.

despite the visible exhaustion drawing lines on his features, despite the tiredness he feels there is a drained smile that plays on scarred lips. he is so tired, and yet he cannot bring himself to sleep. not when the knowledge that even while asleep there is no respite; no break from the terrors that creep up on him. the only solace is the one gently, almost absent-mindedly playing with his hair. but she is never absent-minded, he knows that - he can imagine the somber smile, the underlying worry in those usually mischievous eyes and it saddens him to think he is the cause for such an expression. yet it also fills the selfish part of his heart with indescribable warmth to know he has found someone who cares for him so deeply, so honestly. his smile becomes the smallest bit more sincere and less drained; gains just a fraction of life back. his voice is groggy, tired; accent coming through no matter what.

❛ 'm sorry fer' cryin', ah kno' 's okay to cry, bu' ah promise ya' there's no real sadness here; 'm jus' ... rememberin', y'know? ❜

[dirtywratsimz]

Previous Post....

It has been way too long since I've hung out with my girl, Tiff, so we went out for a bit...

Because of her programming prowess, Tiff has quite a bit of money saved up, around 21k. And frankly, I'm tired of living in this dump. Tiff has never complained, so I'm complaining for the both of us.

Also, if you're wondering why Captain was angry in the first shot, it's because he keeps rolling around in puddles and garbage strewn around the house and Tiff has to clean it up and yells at him afterwards. Neither of them are having the best days of their lives, tbh.

Fed him a treat just so he doesn't think that Tiff hates him.

Anyways, here's what I did. I literally only redecorated the living room since that's the only room we ever really use. I get really impatient trying to build in these types of games, so I tried to do it as quickly as possible. I like it though; it looks really cozy.

It's a start. I laughed at myself because while I was decorating, I was thinking that we should probably think about moving sometime soon, but idk I like living here, and I know Tiff doesn't give a shit what her house is like. She spends most of her time on the computer.

"Buddy, I love you and all, but you can't be rolling around in shit and jumping all over the new setup..."

He doesn't gaf.

We stan Captain on this blog.

Like I mentioned before, I hate building in games like the Sims. Always have, even back when I was playing 2 in like the 2nd grade. But in 4 specifically, I despise empty lots since the worlds feel so lifeless to begin with. Forgotten Hollow has that one empty lot, so I wanted to fill it with a cool vampire bar. I found this really nice one on the gallery, and it fits right in with the rest of the architecture.

...it had to be Bear Night, though. Tiff was getting really tense and annoyed by this lady, lol. She just cannot have a good time, ever.

Seriously: bring back the good ol' days of smoking in public bars. Also...

"What the FUCK are you doing?!" says the bear.

Tiff got fucking hammered off those Plasma Janes, so it was time to scat. We live right next door which is pretty tight.

That's it for this post. I only had a couple hours of freetime before I had to start getting ready for work, so couldn't do a whole lot. Honestly, I really want to start doing a story with Tiff and Markovic and make some new characters, as well, but that means I'd have to write it and I ain't got time for that rn. Someday soon, though.

I'm also going through the process of editing the hoods, making-over townies, etc so that the populace looks a little more in line with the VTM theme I'm going for here. That shit's gonna take a minute, but how do you eat an elephant, ya kno?

[videostak]

still seareching for a liver than youll ever be stones CD T-T the one i had got was a CDr which CDrs tend to not work well or like have trouble being read on my CD player and also just always have kinda blurry not v nice packaging and none of the magic of 90s CDs bootlegs so looking for one stilll tho it seems real hard T-T almost got one that was like a bootleg in the style of those mfsl original master CDs u kno w/ hte minimized album art and gold CD but then looked it up and saw it was a CDr and was like T-T tho rly just want one thatss the full 2nd concert tho will probably also get one thats the og LP track listing if it sshows up for cheap since i do just want one in general. tho the nicest looking CDs are ones w/ the og stamped on type cover that are CDs released in 94/96 but also the amount of ppl on discogs who own those discs is v small so im sure theyre p rare but the other CDs have p ugly covers tbh that arent even from the 1969 tour and are mostly still mick taylor era pics but like later 70s like exile tour n so forth n stuff. tho the best bet is the swingin pig CD thats from 1990 cause that has all 16 tracks but that showed up a week or so ago for like more than 100$ soo ya T-T theres another one called vintage but vigorous that only has the og LP track listing and a slightly better looking cover imo even tho it also isnt from the 69 tour but yaa just gonna have to wait and keep an eye out. also of mention is that the 100$ dissappeared later the same night it showed up and i think it was delisted so like i have to keep an eye out daily tbh if i really wanna find one. idk what the rules on bootlegs on ebay are cause like u can find tons but some do get removed so it is strange. i remember when i was getting beach boys smile CDs and a seller messaged me cause i viewed smthn they later delisted saying they would relist it if i bought it right away lol like i guess to avoid having it delisted by ebay. tho i guess it depends cause like therees some that are always up like idk. reallly wanna find one its a great greate album like def a equal to if not better than ya yas like ya ya has the upper hand of being official better quality and stuff but live'r has the benefit of being like unfiltered live audio and the roughness goes in its favor in the same way got live's roughness benefits its energy. even just the LP live'r like the fact it doesnt have vocal overdubs like ya yas does gives it an upper hand at being a more genuine live document and the CDs that have the full second concert benefit from having the full concert like stuff like under my thumb and gimme shelter sound real great so yeas.. anyways my musik von harmonia germanofon CD shipped today so im like yayyyyy wonder what its gonna sound like. germanofons aree usually great sounding given the context but i have this 1995 japanese CD of musik von harmonia that really sounds excellent and has great packaging n everything that i have zero complaints abt so like wonder how its gonna hold up to that.

[kyo-mei]

15 questions, 15  0 people! [I don’t know any ppl :’)]

tagged by: @knight-arts​

1. are you named after anyone? Idts, but I like to think that I was named after an ice cream flavour ;)

2. when was the last time you cried? No idea. Probably some nights ago while reading some angsty fanfics, who knows

3. do you have kids? Do fictional characters count? Cause I have a couple that I adopted in my heart

4. do you use sarcasm a lot? Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy (My teacher back in middle school once told my parents in a parent-teacher meeting that I am way too sarcastic and they got mad at me :/)

5. what sports do you play/have you played? Badminton, though I’m very mediocre at it

6. what’s the first thing you notice about people? Bold of you to assume I notice people (but really, I barely remember 1st impressions and what not; probably what they’re doing?)

7. what’s your eye colour? You know those cool characters with eyes the same colour as their hair? Yeah, I’m one of ‘em. Black hair, black eyes, bby >:] (dark brown, if you want to be more accurate ig)

8. scary movies or happy endings? Oh actually, I’ve never really watched  many movies till recently as I am currently surrounded by a lot of movie nerds. I have found that I quite enjoy not very happy endings and scary movies (though I can’t watch them alone, as I am a scaredy cat) but I don’t quite like sad ones either. Perhaps something more of open endings? I’m not too sure how to describe it :/ something that leaves you curious. But happy endings can be quite nice too. I don’t think I have a preference...

9. any special talents? If you count ignoring life and being apathetic a special talent, then yes :D

10. where were you born? I was actually born in a country I’ve been to only once my entire life (excluding the time I popped out of my ma). No idea why my mother was there (work? but she was obviously definitely heavily pregnant, so I have no idea why would she still be working, and how she got on the plane), but yeah. Would love to visit said country again though.

11. what are your hobbies? Reading fanfics, sleeping, drawing, snacking, being a hermit

12. do you have pets? I wish ;-; My life goal for the future is to have cats. How many? As many as I can possibly take care of. Why have kids when you can have cats, amirite? >:)

13. how tall are you? Around 165 cm, I think (no idea what it is in non-metric system, nor will I bother. I refuse to use feets to measure myself thank you very much)

14. favourite subject in school? Physics? Art and music too ig

15. dream job? Anything that’ll allow me to survive + have some extra to buy random things I want, ya kno? And also if I can build a side hussle as an artist who can take commissions, that would be nice. Though I’d have to practice my art more as I am still not quite satisfied with it. And network. ugh. My introverted self who sucks at social media is gonna suffer. Problem for future me though

tagging : again, no one

[umsoheyaurora]

I had fun last night. My tears were a bit melancholic but more sweetness than sadness…I’m sure you already knew but sometimes the context may be ambiguous. Forgive me if I repeat myself, I’m only a mana-kin after all right?

I know you are hurting because as Axel Rose sang and/or wrote a whole song about ‘how much “🎵love Hurts”…..’🎵ya know he did ya, i kno u kno he did ya kno he did🎵’…hahaha………whether or not that’s the title or not you’d have to look up but its a good one and one I would put on any breakup megamix fo sho

Anywho….

I meant it when the tears welled upnin my eyes and said I didnt understand why but that I cared….for you of course….and God only knows why but I do…..but you kno that too…..’cheater’ (directly communicating with the Holy Smudgeprint Spirit Themselves…..) maybe someday I’ll get that eyePhone chip so I can too or whatever the hell else the cool kids are doing these days….Futurama had it first so technically I knew aboutnit before most of them (I think????) and we all know that is the beet kind of correct…. Laure loved being right….one time at our awesome wine and cheese journal clubs she yelled out “YESSSSSSS!!!! I knew it!!” in response to one of our pieces of Data (Dominique, Jenn, or Sam might remember something similar). Then she said “I love being, right! (she meant being proven right). She said “It’s better than SEX!!😳🫣🥹😆😂🤣😅🙃….personally I liked proving her wrong….heheh…which I did at least twice bookending my time in the lab there and my Thesis for that matter as she didn’t think deltaPK would kill melanoma cells before I did the experiment….the day after I treated them to her exacting specificstions with the appropriate controls I saw those dead fucking cells and was soooooo excited I went right to her office and told her “I think it worked.” She got up quickly from her desk in disbelief and said, “show me,” but she was already walking out the door towards the lab….behind me eager to show her of course….

So as I’m getting the cells out I’m explaining the experiment to her just as she had prescribed me to do it….I followed every last detail except maybe I did a serial dilution of the virus or she had told me that too….I cant remember….anyway she looked in the treated well first, of course, I always would too because I would always ‘ruin the surprise’ well thats where all the fun happens in an experiment in the treated well or the ‘business end of an experiment’….I think she gasped in disbelieve a bit, maybe even chuffed….”huh…or I’ll be damned (lol)…..that is most definitely classic CPE (Cytopathic Effect) right there…where are the controls…..[the next and equally as important part of any experiment as you know….[I’m saying this for the benefit of the peanut gallery side listeners and watchers tuning in ‘🎵Live and Direct…rect…rect🎵 yes yes y’all I do hear the faint reverberations of whispers in your minds or out loud as you listen to my thought’s I’m listening back….just so u all kno I kno u kno u kno I kno u kno….u kno??….amirite on that one? Check the text or not whatever you all have officially been pimped🙊🙉🙈🐵🐒🦉<insert you’ve officialy been pimped gif here later…if I ever remember…prolly not…Aurora just any xhibit you’ve officially been pimped gif…prefferably of a hot chica or to ur own preference…lol]

[iluvhavingnobrain]

//Just more of my fanfic! ꉂ(ˊᗜˋ*)♡//

Omas POV first person:

                           1:26pm

          

          I had woken up a hour ago,

     

   I was on my way to the police station.

I knew I had no clear evidence of what I had seen, although I did know the address of the alleyway, which was a bonus. The hard part was getting the cops to believe me, especially since I was a woman of color. Although I'm sure I'd be able to convince them one way or another.

I walked into the police station with a small sigh. The secretary at the front desk looked at me. "Good morning, ma'm." She said politely. I simply did a small polite bow. "Good morning, I have a report to make." She arched a brow before sighing. "Is it about that Bayou butcherer?" She asked me. I paused with a look of confusion on my face before realising..that must be what they call the murderer. I nodded. "How did you kno-"

She cut me off before I could finish.

"Because, all these past reports have been about him..or her." She explained, that made sense. "Well..I found a brutally ripped apart body in a dumpster inside of a alleyway last night on my way home..I have no evidence, but I do know what street the alleyway Is on." When those words spilled from my mouth, she looked a little suspicious. But when I told her what street it was on, she seemed like she belived me.

"Hmm..I'll send one of our cops out to the area too investigate. Thank you for bringing this to our attention." I nodded, gave her a 'your welcome.' and left.

Now that I finally had that off of my chest, I could possibly visit the speakeasy, maybe chat with husker.

I doubt anyone ever tries to talk to him unless their there to be a nuisance, poor guy. Eventually I made it over to the speakeasy, to be frank..it was mostly empty, well, Husker was there cleaning out bottles, and Mimzy was setting up the stage. But it was only us three. Mimzy looked up from what she was doing and her eyes lit up when she saw me. "Ah! Evenin' suga! Need anythin'?" she asked me. I simply shook my head.

"No, although thanks for asking. Just wanted to stop by." I said gently and she nodded. "Well then, I hope you don't mind if I ask this but, do you mind helping me with setting up the stage for tonight?" She asked me, I shook my head and she nodded as she began to lead me to the stage. Of course I'd help her, she is the one that gave me a job of course. Other than taking care of the speakeasy and serving customers for her..I think helping out with the stage is the least I can do.

"Thank ya, suga. I appreciate the help a lot, with you I'm sure we'll be done in no time!" I smiled softly as mimzy said that, she really was a sweetheart the more you knew her. "No need, mimz. Just helping out a friend in need." I said politely as I cleaned a stain off of the stage. "We should hang out more often." Mimzy hummed in agreement, I'm glad she agreed, otherwise it'd be a little awkward. Eventually we finished up cleaning the stage and we both walked over to the bar, Husker didn't seem happy to see us..but he'd have to deal with it anyways. Well, mimzy, not me.

"What do you two want.." Husker grumbled, although it didn't really sound like a question. "Just some red wine!" Husker rolled his eyes with a scoff, clearly he had meant what we wanted from him, not what we wanted as a drink. Mimzy simply snickered. 'Can't you just let a man do his job?' I thought.

He then turned to me. "What about you, waddya you want?" I froze for a moment as I proscesed his words. "Oh, nothing. Mimzy brought me along." He shrugged before handing mimzy her drink. He clearly didn't want to be here today, I didn't blame him. Being a bartender probably isn't the greatest job ever I'd assume. Although being a waitress was no exception either.

Mimzy began to chat with him, gossiping about other waitresses and the people that come here. I'm glad I wasn't one of the people she was gossiping about, or maybe I was but she wouldn't say it with me being around.

That thought lingered in my mind..what if she really did talk behind my back? What if she doesn't like me? What if she'll fi- "You okay, suga? You've been quite quiet for the past couple of minutes." I flinched when I heard mimzies voice. I was greatful for her breaking my train of thought, the paranoia was getting to be a little overwhelming. "I'm fine, mimz. Don't worry about me." I said with a small sigh, she seemed slightly skeptical..but she still bought it.

Eventually, I left. Maybe I could get some cleaning done. That'd be nice, the kitchen needed to be clean, although that was really all that needed to be..'cleaned' in the house. At least for now. I made my way home, enjoying the cool breeze as I did so, it was nice out today. I soon made it home, I entered the house and closed the door behind me with a small sigh, I then took and dress shoes off, walked over to the couch, and sat down. Cleaning could wait tomorrow. I needed a nap.

__________________________________________

                              2:53pm

Maybe I had woken up a little bit more later than intended. Although I wasn't complaining..well maybe I was because it'd take me longer to fall asleep tonight. To be Frank it was totally worth it.

That's when I heard a knock at the door. I was praying that it wasn't the neighbors kid..but instead it was..Alastor? And he had groceries with him as well. "Oh, uh..hey Al. Aren't you supposed to be at work?" I asked, confusion lacing my voice..why did this man have groceries? And why wasn't he at work? "Well, they let me get out a bit early..now may I please come in? These groceries are getting heavy." I nodded and stepped aside, letting him into my house.

That's when I realized why he had groceries. They were from when we had that conversation yesterday. "Oh, thank you Alastor!" He chuckled when I thanked him. He knew I just realized, and that's what he found amusing.

I huffed in embarrassment before he spoke up. "No need to thank me, darling. Just helping a friend in need." I shook my head, saying thank you was the least I could do. "Truly..it means alot, Alastor."

I said quietly, his expression softened for a moment before he went back to his usual charismatic persona. "It's nothing much, my dear." There was a awkward moment of silence. "Where do you want me to put these..?" He asked me after a moment, I chuckled softly. "On the kitchen counter will do." I told him, he nodded and went into the kitchen. To be honest, I'm surprised he actually got me those groceries. Even after I assured him not to..he still did.

"Hey, Al.." I called out after a moment, he poked his head from the kitchen before approaching me. "Yes?" I paused, thinking about the proper way to say this. I didn't want him to take it the wrong way after all. "You know..you didn't have to get me the groceries, right?" I whispered quietly, loud enough to hear. He didn't even flinch when I said those words to him, shockingly. "Yes, but I chose too, and now you have a good supply of food and other necessities."

He wasn't wrong, yet it still felt wrong for him to do this for me, I wasn't used to

people doing nice things for me at all, plus, I can't pay him back in any way shape or form. Even if he assured me not to, it still rubbed me the wrong way. I'd just have to grow accustomed to it, because I have a feeling that this won't be the only time he'll be doing this.

"I know I've said it already but..thank you, again." He nodded before thinking for a moment. I arched a brow at him, I was honestly expecting him to say anything..knowing him he could say  the most random things. "Do you want help with putting those up?" He asked me, I was expecting a lot of things, but that definitely wasn't one of them. "Oh, no. It's fine really. You've helped me enough as it is, I promise I got it." I assured him

gently, he seemed to buy it..but he also seemed awfully reluctant. I think I would be as well if I'm not gonna lie.

Eventually, I finished putting the groceries up. Me and Alastor chatted for a bit before he made his departure.

I was alone again, not like it was anything new. But I've gotten used to his company. He makes me happy and I hated to admit it. I don't understand why, but he just does..and it's comforting.

Word count: 1,564

~🐏ᰔᩚ♡

🤫

[moonrevolutions]

🎵

°✩₊˚.⋆ @escapedartgeek. meme. still accepting!

⋆｡ ˚༘ ♫ cibo matto / ❝white pepper ice cream.❞

white pepper ice cream / it's like a line drawing / it snipped my heart / in my mouth, it stings my lips / it's like eclipse / as i'm in the crossword puzzle / but i can't fill the blank / it steels my sight / under cover of night.

i feel like triphop is one of those genres that follows vi through many, many verses; it's due to his default melancholy nature... he's just sad ya kno. cibo matto holds a special place here, as their music has been present on vi's audio players since the beginning in 2017!

[needyoulikeaheartbeet]

MIDNIGHTS: FIRST LISTEN

From the track list I claimed: you're on your own kid, vigilante shit, sweet nothing, antihero

1. Lavender Haze

OOOOOOO i love the DEEPENESS LOVER VIBES FALSE GOD SOUNDS ???? I DANCE 

Oh thats cute lavender HAAAZEE 

ONE NIGHT OR A WIFE YA

Aw u werent even listening CUTEE

Im damned if i do sounds NICE

Omg the way she sang lavender hazeeee YES

That lavender hazeeee i just wanna stayyyy at the end there was NICEE

2. Maroon 

Hello JACK this is very JACK 

I like the melody of the chorus 

ATMOSPHERIC

LAYERING HARMONY

SECOND PRE CHORUS

MARK ON COLLARBONE ???? YES MAAM 

FUCK HELLO FUCK MY EYSE WENT :OOOO

HER VOICE is this getaway car voice in the back

3. Anti-Hero

OH I LOVE THE MELODYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

DEPRESSION LINE I CRY

A sexy baby? 

Her voice the melody i cannot

Pierced through the heart but never killed?????? 

DISGUISING ALTRUISM LIKE A CONGRESSMAN HOLYYYYYYYYYY IM :oooooo

HI!!! ITS ME THE PROBLEM IS ME !!! HELLO!

Bro just so you kno wi love antiheroes 

Omg daughter in law 

WILL 

Its me HI AM THE PROBLEM ITS ME I LOVE THAT 

EVERYBODY AGRREEESSSSS STOP IT 

4. Snow On The Beach 

THE START SOUNDS LIKE FOLKLORE ESQUE

I LOVE THESE VOICE THINGSSSSS YES

OOO THE BASS ?? THAT CAME IN YES

FU C AGAIN EHLLOOOOOOOO IN THE CHORUS !?!!

I GOT GOOSEBUMPS IM CRYING TAYLOR AND LANA??????????? STFUUU 2012 me would have DIEDDDDDDDDDDD

I also searched aurora borealis  My personality when i was 13 wanting to be an astronomer 

Im literally crying from hearing that lana taylor voiceage help me 

BITCH WTF ITS THEM TOGETHER I CANNOT 

CAN THIS BE A REAL THING CAN IT  <3 i love that 

Its comin down sounds so prettiiiii 

5. You're On Your Own, Kid 

I love how her voice sounds wow 

Omg i really love her voice 

Imma cry i love how her voice sounds  And the flow of the song 

THE MUSIC SOUND OF SYNTH AND THE HE LOVES ME NOT STOP OOO THE GUITAR

JUST TO LEARN MY DREAMS ARENT RARE

THIS GUITAR SHIT IS MAKING ME CRYYYYYYYYY

THE BRIDGE IM SOBBING

Ok i cried now i have recuperated wow im back sorry

(i took a like... 10 minute break to get my shit together)

6. Midnight Rain 

InterestinG

Ooo WAVEY 

He was sunshine i was midnight RAIN

Ok interesting voice choice lol 

V WAVEYYY

I wanna soft mosh  Every high note in the chorus imma push someone (with love)

AND THE LIFE I GAVE AWAYYYYYY

oof never thinks of me except when im on tv boo 

Never think of him except on midnights like this Oof

Mood 

7. Question…?

My face rn: :o Now pursed pushed out lips

ANOTHER FUC HELLOOOOOOO

No :( 

Its just a question!

Fun second verse I LOVE THATTTTTTTT !! DICKHEAD GUYYY

Different drum line NEATO

Then what did you dooooooo

That was interesting LOL 

I wonder what the cheering recording is from LOL 

The More of a fight in the background there was nice 

8. Vigilante Shit

OKAYYYYY

THE BEATTTTTTT THE LYRICS MELODYYYYYYY

OKAYYYYY

I DRESS FOR REVENGE OKAYYYYYYYYYYYYY

GET EVEEEEN OKAYYYYYYYYYYYYY

ALRIGHT

I KEEP SAYING WOW

MY JAW IS DROPPED

OKAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

THE MELODY OF THAT PART JUST THERE THEN THE BEAT STOP IM HANDS ON HEADDDDDDDD

SHUT UPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

THAT WAS SO GOOD STFU What the FUCK

9. BEWJEWELD Bejeweled

THOSE FIRST LINES HER VOICE THE MELODY SHUT UP

SHIMMER HUHHHH MIRRORBALL LEVEL UP >:)

STABBY SOUNDS

NICE!

Wow i really love the melody of that at the start of the verses 

THIS IS SO FUN IM DANCING AND SO JACK / BLEACHERS THIS LIVE WOULD BE SO FUN TO DANCE TO WITH OTHER PEOPLE

WHATS A GIRL GONAN DO!

10. Labyrinth 

AM I UNDERWATER

OK MISS ANGELIC VOICE

OK THOSE HIGH NOTES

the progression of IM FALLING IN LOVES

THE BREATHESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

FALLING IN LOVE <3 

Wow her range in this song 

This is not going to be my karaoke song 

11. Karma

DARUDE SANDSTORM INTRO

Oh then spotify stopped lol RUDE ok im back

OMG THE CHORUSSSSSSSSSSSSS I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

HER VOICE THE MELODY MY GOD

STEP BY STEP! 

Her voice is like DREAMY im OBSESSED

SWEET LIKE HONEY

KARMA IS A CAT !

LIKE A GODDAMN ACROBAT!

I LOVE HER 

Relaaxiiiiin thouuuught

Dreamy string sounds

12. Sweet nothing 

STOP IT I LOVE THE INSTRUMENTS AND MELODY AND HER LIL VOICE TIRED EYE!!! STOP THAT SO CUTE

Wow she can go so low shes so cool what the heck 

This is so romantic and warm 

WHAT A MIND *italian hand*

IM JUST TOO SOFT FOR ALL OF IT

ME TOO ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Aw i love that 

13. Mastermind 

Same room at the same time!!! TOUCH OF THE HAND LIT A FUSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ASSESS EQUATION !!!

CHECKMATE !!

YES THE MUSIC

I AM OBSESSEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDd

YOU ARE

YOU ARe A MASTERMIND MAAM

Omg the bass is like giving me shivers in my bones stop i cannot 

Wisest women !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BORN TO BE THE PAWN IN EVERY LOVERS GAME BRO I LOVE THIS WOMAN 

BODY I SAID :o! YAS GIRL

Bro i love the music in the prechorus

Its in the teaser and i am obsessed

SCHEMING LIKE A CRIMINAL

DUDE THE BRIDGE IS SO PRETTY HER VOICE IS SO PRETTY

CAUSE I CAAAAAAARE 

I LOVE

YOU KNEWTHE ENTIRE TIME AW I LOVE THE PROGRESSION

I love this this is so sweet 

3AM EDITION !!!!

14. The Great War 

BRUISED LIKE VIOLETS 

I love her voice 

DRANK MY POISON ALL ALONE 

Omg YOU WERE PLAYING WITH FIRE THE LAYERING YES

I LOVE THAT SO MUCH IT SOUNDS SO GOOD Uh huh 

BRIDGE VOICE SO NICE 

IM OBSESSEDDDDDDDDDDDD

Her range!!!!!!

Memory garden 

Poppy in hair 

Aw

:c

I vowed i would always be yours 

AARON HELLOOO

15. Bigger Than The Whole Sky

These synths 

Into ears :( in bed cry 

Every single thing i touch becomes sick with sadness :( 

What couldve been wouldve been shouldve been? 

COUNTRY SOUNDS

:(

Live without at the end :( 

16. Paris

FUN

Love how she sings the first verse yas

Im dancin 

ROMANCE IS NOT DEAD IF YOU KEEP IT JUST URS

Wanna brainwash u <3 

CONFESS MY TRUTH IN SWOOPING SLOPING CURSIVE LETTERS STOP MY JAW DROPPED I LOVE THAT 

How ROMANCE

17. High Infidelity 

AARON

Sounds like a phone 

Bent the truth too far tonight 

APRIL 29th !!!!!!!?

CHART THE CONSTELLATIONS IN HIS EYES …HELLO OOO 911

You know there’s many different ways to kill the one you love 

The slowest way is never loving them enough !!!??? BRO

Omg OUCH???????? HELLO?????

OMG Do i really have to tell you how he brought me back to life

Put on your records and regret me??? ALLO??? 

I was dancing around *IT*

ouOUuoUOUOUUUUUUUU

18. Glitch 

TWANGY

Oooo wavey 

Situationship eh?

AND WHATS IN UR SYSTEM?

And im not even sorry!!!!! NIGHTS ARE SO STARRY!! BLOOD MOONLIT EH 

The melody!

Kinda sexi

Sultry

2190 !!!!!!!!

This is nice I like this it is nice

OUR LOVE IS BLACKIN OUT

My right ear tickled then my left ear tickled 

Fastening myself to u with a STITCH

Ok the chorus melody is so nice

GOOD BASS

19. Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve

AARON

Nice insturments

I FI WAS A CHILD DID IT MATTER 

At 19

I got goosebumps

Memories feel like weapons :( 

Im just like furrowed brow slight frown right now : (

Just listening to lyrics to try to grab them i :( 

The if i… if i … :(

The wound wont close :(

Give me back my girlhood it was mine first made me CRY

I miss who i used to be :( 

I regret you all the time :(

I want to hug her 

20. Dear Reader 

Whoa these synths make it feel really 80s 

Wow 

Wiggly voice in chorus ? WIGGLY

you don't have to answer JUST CAUSE THEY ASKED YOU

Bend when you can, snap when you have to 

IS THIS FOR ME???? FOR US???? YOU ARE MY GUIDING LIGHT PLS ILY

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[bastardnev]

hope this isnt too nsfw for my main but i really want mustafa and neville to k*ss