#open starter :: everyone forgets about me...

[luna-azzurra]

Story Starters #2

“I’m Fine” Starters (for characters who are breaking but hiding it behind practiced smiles and default sarcasm)

✧ I’m fine. I mean, sure, I haven’t slept in three days and my thoughts sound like static, but yeah, I’m great. ✧ It’s easier to make jokes about the chaos than to admit how much of it is mine. ✧ Every time someone asks how I’m doing, I lie a little more convincingly. ✧ I can’t tell if I’ve gotten stronger or if I’ve just gotten better at pretending. ✧ I cried in the bathroom stall and came back out with a joke ready. No one noticed the red eyes. They laughed. ✧ I tell people I’m tired. It’s easier than saying I can’t remember the last time I felt okay. ✧ I’m the go-to friend for advice. No one ever asks if I’m surviving. ✧ I don’t know what scares me more—someone noticing or no one ever noticing at all. ✧ I’ve built this version of myself that everyone seems to love. The only problem? I don’t recognize them anymore. ✧ Smiling is just muscle memory now. I wish it meant something.

 Enemies Softening Starters (for when hate starts turning into understanding, and understanding starts burning a little too sweet)

✧ I used to hate the way they looked at me. Now I hate how much I want them to do it again. ✧ We don’t talk about the moment our hands brushed. But we haven’t stopped thinking about it either. ✧ There’s still tension when we speak—but now it’s the kind that makes my stomach flip, not clench. ✧ I catch myself defending them when they’re not around. I don’t know when that started. ✧ I know I’m supposed to hate them. I just don’t remember why as clearly anymore. ✧ They’re still annoying. Arrogant. Impossible. And I think about them way too often. ✧ When they’re angry, I find myself watching too closely. Like I want to understand the fire, not put it out. ✧ We bicker the way fire crackles, dangerous, but kind of addictive. ✧ They’re the last person I should trust. And yet, when things went bad… they were the only one who showed up. ✧ It’s not that I want to kiss them. It’s just… I wouldn’t dodge if they tried.

“I Thought I Was Over It” Starters (for characters who swore they’d moved on—until the memory hits like a bruise)

✧ I saw them across the room and it felt like a ghost walked through me. ✧ I thought the ache had gone. But one song, and suddenly I was seventeen again, heart cracked wide open. ✧ I can say their name without flinching now. But thinking about them still feels like biting into something bitter. ✧ I told myself I healed. But then I saw that smile—our smile—and all the old hurt came flooding back. ✧ I let them go. I did. I just didn’t expect to still miss them when it rains. ✧ I don’t want them back. I just want to know if they still remember me too. ✧ I laughed when I saw their name. That sharp, bitter kind of laugh that tastes too much like grief. ✧ There are people I’ve loved since. But none of them cracked me open the way they did. ✧ I found our old photo and couldn’t throw it out. I just… moved it to a drawer. ✧ Healing isn’t linear. Some days, I forget them. Some days, I remember everything.

[hairscare]

as someone who has used a cane for over 2 years now ive noticed a really interesting bias against canes by able bodied people in comparison to other mobility aids. when we were at the same college my roommate used forearm crutches and i had my cane, and it became a joke to us how much more helpful and accommodating people were towards him (of course still overall bad- but better). the main example we always talk about is that people would fall over themselves to help him with doors, even to the point that it would get inconvenient (like trying to open the door to the accessible bathroom for him but in the process standing in the bathroom), meanwhile people would let doors shut on me without batting an eye. he started using a cane recently so i asked him about if there was a difference in how people treated him and he said there was a noticable difference and that people were less eager to help him when he was using it in comparison to the crutches. i have a few theories as to why:

1. most canes you see in media being used by someone who isnt elderly are aesthetic canes, and so people dont take it as seriously if a younger person is using one

2. unlike a lot of mobility aids, canes are one handed, which gives the illusion of an extra hand free. what people dont understand is that yes, while i do have an extra hand free, i am using that hand double time since the other one is occupied. also a lot of things require two hands (especially for someone with a disability) so doing everything one handed can be tough. i use my dominant hand to hold my cane since my pain is worse on my left side, which means that the hand i do have free isnt one i can use to type things in or write, so if i need to do that i have to put my cane under my arm and use my right hand

3. canes are taken less seriously as mobility aids since to an able bodied person they dont look as severe, which gives the impression that cane users are more capable than other mobility aid users. while yes, it is true that canes can be a starter mobility aid that will eventually be traded for another type as symptoms progress, that doesnt mean that canes are for Disability Lite. me and my roommate used our mobility aids for similar reasons and have had very similar pain experiences, we just used different aids. canes are also a significantly cheaper option compared to other aids and are easier to find in stores, and so are much more accessible. besides all that though, there shouldnt even be a bar for how disabled a person needs to be to recieve help, which id argue is a very controversial opinion to have anymore

4. canes are still a joke. they are still widely used as a funny prop to indicate that someone is old, incapable and feeble. even on tumblr i still see people utilizing canes in this way in artwork and memes, and thats obviously very alienating. mobility canes arent props, and you probably should not draw someone with one unless you actually intend to have that character need it

in my short 2 years of using a cane i have already faced so much ableism, most of which has come from young left leaning people. of course theres a wider issue of disabled people being the odd group out in the effort to stop bigotry since literally everyone will punch down on us. there are also certainly privileges to using a cane compared to other mobility aids. but its also incredibly strange how invisible they are, like people forget that i have one for a reason

[deerdoegone]

2009 AND WHY I AM IN LOVE.

EAST COAST BY ALEX G.

where have i been? i got two asks that noticed i seemed to dip, always in and out—touch and go. may took a nosedive for me, and i wanted an escape. no fireworks, no cool powers, nothing special that i could brag about once i got back, just the feeling of rain soaking into my clothes without the thunder. okay, maybe a lie—this is my contemporary version of the thriller that is westport.

YOU REMEMBER WESTPORT, RIGHT? good. which means you remember me! still the same girl as i would be here and in "original" westport. sweetly awkward, nauseously forgiving. girly geek, the same pink braces i have in this reality. deer in the headlights. chronic lover of all things that are adorable. tweemo meets princess prep. blackberry curve with a quiet ringtone. best friends with so-hee, always with so-hee. emotional twin to mabel pines. the human to nathaniel hare’s vampire, princess to his knight in shining fangs. diner dates. long drives around town in his busted 2001 toyota he bought off the local mechanic who had plans to scrap it. movie nights. sleeping on crumbled sheets in his small apartment on the outskirts of downtown, near the shore but still miles away from his hometown and quiet childhood.

WHAT DID YOU DO WHILE THERE? studied, for starters. i love to study and it's a beautiful art to me, in a very nerdy, shoved in the locker way. it also helps when my classes are all in things i already study here. except math. god, i hate this math class. i ate breakfast with my sister and had a rather boring morning, sitting around and watching reruns of supernatural. i have a chronic attachment to early seasons of that show, kisses to dvd for making me realize netflix cut scenes and changed them. cleaned my room, made coffee and talked with so-hee for an hour on the house phone, because i will be beating a dead horse in every reality. went walking around town, finding myself in every downtown crevice i could, dragging a stick across the chainlink fence of a construction area and getting as close to the beach as i could, staring down at it from the downtown clifftop railing. sat with nisa at her mother's salon as she got her roots touched up by her cousin; she went bronze brunette in june 2005 and never went back to black. got dinner at a local italian spot, run by a loud man who moved his family to westport from new jersey, said our town had no culture before he opened. kinda true? he gave me advice most small town shop owners give you as they hand off your plastic bag. studied more. did my usual jennifer check lying in bed routine while writing movie script ideas. the next day, i went to the lake near my house with my sister, then to work, and that was my weekend.

i've been here a month total, so far. i didn't script a time exchange, i kinda just don't believe in them because they aren't something you have to script i feel like? there are a thousand realities and a million doors to them, open the one where you last left off. or don't. open the one where a month has also gone by and your awareness jumps to you getting on the train to go clock in at your shift at bath and body works. do whatever works for you. speaking of.... bath and body works. you don't really forget you have a job or other priorities but i nearly missed a 2 to 6 on sunday because i wanted to sit by the rosewood lake all day. "don't you have work in an hour?" so thanks, mariah, for snapping me out of my trance over the sound of running water, but not the smooth running, the kind where it has to skip over rocks, so there's a hiccup or echo. it's weird, i know, but if you were there, you'd get it. everyone shift to westport and go to river/lake rosewood. my job is fun. i had ten minutes to get ready so i went to work in low rise jeans and a bare face. took the bus there and occasionally sidestepped my way through the crowd. my boss is a fifty-four year old woman who has platinum blonde streaks in honey blonde hair and chunky french tips, the ones carmela soprano has. she looks a bit like edie falco, too. adores me and gave me a cupcake from her daughter's birthday party the night before. we’re kinda understaffed, but the understaffed where it’s never a problem until we have big deals or holidays. for lunch, i had a texting session with nathan and a coca-cola slushie from the food court on the side. wasn't really hungry? i bought perfumes with my employee discount and nearly popped a blood vessel because i couldn't remember my employee number. bought vs pink clothes with that same employee number. ended my shift smelling like in-season autumn scents in a nauseating mix. don't ask how much i spent. it's embarrassing.

AFTER WORK, NATHAN PICKED ME UP. my parents came home from visiting my grandparents, who live in delaware. i fell asleep in mariah's bed after we watched always sunny in philadelphia in her room. smoked a cigarette before class with ava, gossiping about her maternal side of the family. went to class. made a fortune teller out of graded homework. turned in early work. turned in late work. stretched my legs because it's pushing to the last minute of class, and i wanna go home. went home. played the sims 3 for the rest of the day. had dinner with my family. got my nails done with so-hee and my mom. went shopping at hollister. finally went to the beach. had brunch at the local diner with nathan. lounged around with my mom's black cat, morticia. i don't know what to say. there's a lot to say and nothing at all because i feel like this might be boring? like oh, cool, my boyfriend is a vampire, but also it's nothing more than that. no mystery to his new identity, no 5AM by ex:re—the bystander anthem, no messy and action-packed life. the thing i feel like i'm supposed to say is that this reality is super cool and i'm living the supernatural dream, but it's really not like that. don't get me wrong: i love it. i'm having fun. i'm happy, most importantly, but whenever I shift, i get this wave of memories, thoughts, and opinions that remind me this is still just another life i live. i always feel self-conscious sharing because why does it always feel like that is what it's supposed to be? there's supposed to be a million stories of how i spend all day with my boyfriend, but i spend more time texting and calling him than i do seeing him twice a day because we are still just college kids with part-time jobs. there's supposed to be the coolest stories of how my vampire boyfriend turned me, and now we're living out our twilight fantasy, but i'm happy with where i'm at in my mortal body. there's no rush to bury myself in nathan's cold body, no rush to do a gazillion things i wanted to do before shifting, no rush for anything at all. it's the look of love i stare at him with, sewing with nisa and so-hee in optional home economics, and resting my forehead against cold tables when i get a 89% on my test because thank god. there aren't any fireworks like i said. it's just me. the same me who stays up watching tv, the same me who didn't learn to tie her laces until high school because she's autistic, the same me who goes "where's the rest of you?" when she sees people with the name aliyah because she's so accustomed to the double a. i script out the things i don't like about myself but it's still always me. i like this reality a lot better, and being me is never the problem.

THANKS FOR READING THIS MESSY WORD VOMIT!

[mondaymelon]

₊˚ෆ 𝐈 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐀 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓, 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔? | lyney, neuvillette, wriothesely x gn!reader

ˋ°•*⁀➷ cw: established relationship, fluffity fluff !! art by @/puna_822 on twitter, edited by me!

⤷ shh!! secret relationships with the fontaine men ₊˚ෆ

— Lyney will keep the secret well, of course. He’s a jack of all trades, and a little bit of misconception is nothing taxing for someone who can trick the eye with just a simple swipe of his hands.

…Though, his personality often brings much more to deal with behind the scenes. His every action is designed as a ruse, trying to draw any and every reaction from you - whether it be making you irritated as can be or practically burning from his smooth words. He’ll at the red on your face with a light smirk gracing his lips. “Embarrassed, now, are we? Mhm, best wipe it off your face though, lest anyone find out~”

Dealing with the magician was a headache. A delightful one, but painful nonetheless. He has a habit of saying whatever he wants, and it doesn’t help that he’s so good at it too. His tongue can twist poems out of thin air, or pickup lines at the drop of a hat. The number of times Lynette had glanced over at you with a concerned gaze was far more than you could count, and it would be only a matter of time before another carefully crafted sentence sent the entire mirage into collapse. The two of you had only decided to keep your relationship private in the first place due to work affairs. It’d just make things more frustrating if people were aware of the connection. In earlier weeks, you had tried to confront the man about the entire predicament, but he had only laughed it off with a shrug of his shoulders and a jesting beam. 

“Oh, don’t tell me that the words I tell you every day still make you so flustered? Archons, you really are a hopeless romantic, aren’t you? Although, for you, I suppose I’m no different…” 

When Freminet had eventually voiced his worries, gently holding your hands and saying, “A-Are you okay? Your face is really red, are you sick? Should I walk y-you home?”, there was no other choice but to shake your head, cover your flushed cheeks as best you could with a hand, and tell a blatant lie that there was nothing out of the ordinary.

There most certainly was, and it was the cat-like man who stood off to the side, a sly smirk on his face and one of his eyes closed in a wink. Not helping, Lyney.

When would the day come for you to be the one to make him flustered? Perhaps it was sooner than you thought, on his opening night for the new season. You weren’t sure if he had expected to see you in the crowd, but as he was performing his wonderous tricks, eyes sweeping over the hundreds present, his shimmering lilac eyes locked onto yours. His professional smile stretched a little wider, and as he pulled a dove out of his hat with a flourish of his arms, beamed. The astonished look on your face was something he’d be sure not to forget.

As soon as the lights dim onstage, he hurries off of it, giving Lynette a quick farewell and combing back his unruly hair with his fingers. He spots you standing by the exit, holding… a bouquet of roses in your arms? They were a beautiful sight, yet paled in comparison to how ethereal you looked in the moment, the spotlights afar illuminating your face with a glow and your eyes sparkling with delight. This always happens when the two of you are alone - he’ll switch from verbal affection to physical, and this time is no exception. He sweeps you into his arms, slotting his lips against yours as he pulls you into a deep kiss that leaves you breathless and red. However, this time, the blush dusting your cheeks is not only on your face but his, as he takes the flowers in his arms with a bright smile. 

“For me, love? Come now, I can’t possibly keep how good we are together from everyone else, can I?” ₊˚ෆ

— Neuvillette is… an interesting case. For starters, he’s baffled at the concept of keeping the relationship a secret. Elaborate that you don’t want to ruin his reputation as a perfect, just, and stone-cold judge, and he’ll oblige… reluctantly. He still doesn’t understand - just why can’t he show you how much he loves you in public?

For now, he’ll have to chalk it up as more human affairs that he’s deemed too complicated to figure out. Ground rules have been laid out - no mentioning the relationship, no telling anyone either… not even the melusines, which was a fair case, since they’d be sure to spread the news faster than wildfire. The mortal realm is far more puzzling than it seems, he concludes somberly. An unfamiliar world that was arduous to coexist in. It’ll be alright, though, as long as he can intertwine his fingers with yours and look into your eyes and-

“N- Sir Neuvillette… not here!” You chide quietly, slowly withdrawing your hand from his. His face falls into an instant, brows furrowing. He’ll bite his tongue, for your sake, and remain silent, yet his fingers twitch. Archons, his hands feel so much better when they’re in yours. The man watches with dejected eyes as you whip your head around anxiously, before gesturing for Neuvillette to bend down. He complies, and matches himself to your height, yet immediately pauses any motion as soon as he feels your lips brush against his forehead. You brush a stray lock of his behind his reddened ears, a grin curving on your lips.

“Don’t be too disappointed, okay? I don’t want it to rain on my way back home~” You beam slyly as you lean away, witnessing Neuvillette’s expression undergo several stages - downcast, shocked, flustered… and then a small smile graces his expression.

“I’ll see you when I get home. Don’t wait up for me. The case might run late.” Neuvillette chuckles to himself, straightening his posture as he softly pinches your cheek, laughing at the way you begin to pout. It’s something the melusines told him to do, and he’s glad he listened - your face is soft, and he has to hold himself back from kissing you. He can hear people around the corner, their voices growing closer. “Get home safe.”

“Love?” Whenever the dragon enters home, he’ll call you by the name he’s unable to call you anywhere else - something he loathes with a burning sensation in his chest. “Are you…” His voice fades as he sees you curled up on the couch, eyes closed and chest slowly rising and falling with every breath. Had you tried to stay up for him? Cute. He takes you in his arms and brings you to the bedroom, carefully arranging the pillows and blankets around your sleeping form. You stir in your state, lids slowly fluttering open as you stare at the man above you with drowsy eyes.

“Neuvi?” The use of his nickname makes his heart flutter. It’s utterly incomparable to what you call him at work, “Sir Neuvillette.” Too rigid. You giggle at the sight of him, still half-asleep, and cup his face in your hands. “Welcome home… did I fall asleep? Ah, I’m sorry, I guess I was too tired…?”

The smile on his face won’t leave.

Yes, moments like these allowed him to continue this strange human practice.

He places his hands on yours, reveling in your warmth.

“Sleep, love.” ₊˚ෆ

— Wriothesley’s used to being professional. If he wasn’t, his work would be a lifetime more demanding than it was at the moment - although, perhaps even that’d be easier than keeping himself away from you until watchful eyes are no longer present.

He’s touchy whenever he’s with you. He likes leaning into your figure, even if you’re shorter than him, just to take in the way you embrace him back, but he loves the feeling of your fingers with his even more. It makes him feel… giddy, light, like he could drift away with the slightest breeze.

And that’s an issue. In order for you to remain safe, he’ll have to stay hushed about you being his lover. He’s made enemies, that much is natural. Of course, he’ll comply with your wishes to keep the relationship private. You could tell him to eat dirt and he’d do just that. Things like that are second nature now. Before, he had no trouble lasting weeks, or months in the Fortress of Meropide at once. After all, there was no driving incentive to head back to the city of Fontaine other than greeting the melusines, dropping off official papers, or, his guilty pleasure, ordering bags upon bags of tea from the mainland, so that he’d have more than enough to drink at the fortress. Now that you were here, however, how could he possibly stay away longer than a few days? If your hands in his were what made him float away, your smile brought him back, with a racing heart in his chest and a smile spread across his features. He’d give the world to see your smile, since it was his world. A single laugh from you would cause the background to fade to white, and rouse his heart and face into a flustered mess.

The prisoners notice a difference. Of course, they don’t know who this mysterious person the duke is seeing, but all they know is that they’re certainly working wonders. On miraculous, wondrous days, they'll even catch a glimpse of a smile on his face while he’s sitting at his desk, sifting through paperwork. As time passes, the news only grows more widespread, eventually reaching the ears of the ludex himself. It’s true, there is an apparent change - one that he captures on the duke’s more frequent visits to land. For a while, fables and tales of Wriothelsey’s mysterious lover spread throughout the city from ear to ear in hushed, excited whispers.

He’ll tease you about it, of course, but he’s really just rather intrigued. Has he really changed that much after meeting you? He doesn’t think so, but he wouldn’t put it past himself. “Darling, darling…” He repeats your petname when you don’t immediately react. “Darling, c’mon…” He can feel the pout creeping on his lips.

“Impatient, are we, Wrio?” You sigh as you turn away from your work, and his icy eyes light up in an instant. You stroke your hand through his hair gently, carding your fingers through the soft, dark strands, and you can see the way Wriothelsey simply melts under your touch. “You’ve been seeking me quite often these days, haven’t you?”

Maybe he has changed. Staring up at you with half-lidded eyes and a smile playing on his lips, feeling his ears warm, perhaps that conjecture has been solidified as the truth.

“Is it so wrong to wish for you, darling?”

(a/n) ngl i kinda hate this fanfic. everything about it. everyone seems so ooc and the prompt is barely even mentioned ew ew ew not my best work by far please dont tell me writers block is coming back i hate that big bad scary thing

໒꒱ || ᴛᴀɢʟɪꜱᴛ (open! send an ask or a comment ♡) : @manager-of-the-pudding-bank, @iamdedinside, @ilyuu, @achlysis, @swivy123, @scara-is-my-wife

[luvyuuma]

ouh my god maybe harua + “lets just cuddle forever” 😭 I gen haven’t been held by someone in ages and would kill to be held by harua icl </3

AUTHOR'S NOTE: ohhhh honey i got u <3

SYNOPSIS / in which harua sentences you to cuddle with him forever.

TW / none! pure fluff

WC / 0.5k words

PAIRING / harua x gn!reader

touch-starved &team prompt list

HARUA + "let's just cuddle forever"

Everyone knows Harua loves physical touch. Poking his members on their face, slinging an arm around them or feeding them—whatever it is, Harua treats it like it's his solemn duty to do so.

He takes it very seriously, however, he feels out of place knowing no one craves it as much as he does. No one feels like they need human contact to live. It's like a cloud parading him.

You were just like Harua, needing touch to survive. You're just as clingy with your friends. As if not touching someone would kill you instantly.

When you met him, it was like the final piece of the puzzle was found at last. Years and years of searching for some form of sincere reciprocation led to this.

You can imagine that Harua and you became attached at the hip and it didn’t take long for you to start dating. Everyone could see it, how happy you were together. And you were attached, severely even. Holding hands, hand in each other’s pocket, touching knees under the table, anything.

Taki called you the “cootie couple” but that’s beside the point.

Harua and you finished up on a date together, watching sakuras in a nearby park.

You were walking back to your shared apartment, passing by a playground full of children and a convenience store nearby.

Of course you had to stop by so Harua could get snacks.

Then, you walked home together, talking about the most random things.

“No, I don’t think Fuma could beat Donkey Kong!” you argue.

“You have not seen that guy in the gym…” Harua says, letting out more ambiguity than he was supposed to.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” you ask, bursting out laughing.

You push open your front door, welcoming in the warm air. Harua follows in, closing the door but never forgetting to hold your hand.

“It means I’m tired and I wanna be in your arms,” he sulks.

“Only if you say Donkey Kong beats Fuma.”

“Aw, can’t we just meet in the middle and call it a tie?” Harua asks, folding his arms together.

It would’ve been much funnier to continue this conversation but you notice the look on Harua’s face. He must be going through a sugar crash right now. Eyes droopy, lips pouty, grabby hands—all signs of extreme fatigue with the only cure being cuddling your girlfriend.

“I guess we’ll have to since you’re so needy.”

Harua smiles, “If it gets a cuddle out of you, you can call me as many names as you want.”

“For starters,” you begin, as he lays on the couch. “Shameless.”

You plop onto him, letting him wrap his arms around your middle and squeeze you tight.

“You’re shameless and in my arms,” he says matter-of-factly into your hair.

“Shall I get up then?”

He holds you tighter, “Mm-mm, please don’t. We just started.”

“Right. How long do you expect me to stay here, sir?” you ask him.

Harua gasps beneath you and you can feel his stomach go in to make the gasp leave more dramatic.

“You make it sound like I’m holding you hostage!”

“I am being held hostage! What is my sentence?” you ask, lifting your head up.

You almost forgot how pretty he is up close. His facial features are prominent, yet there’s a softness avid within them. It inhibits you, calms you down.

“Forever. Let’s just cuddle forever!” he exclaims, laughing.

In reality, a lifetime sentence of cuddling with Harua wouldn’t sound too bad.

[theartofwoompwoomps]

Roomate headcanons with the LOV

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tomura’s bad habit : he’s messy. He grew up not knowing how to care for himself or others. Which leads me to believe he’d always leave things around. Aka literal garbage. he probably isn’t used to hygiene either, so he would use an insane and unnecessary amount of everyone’s products.

good habits : can always provide a base or hideout by decaying whoever was there before :) he’s great at respecting others in his own way. If there’s something you don’t like, for example leaving cups around, he’d stop doing that. and would just leave them in places you can’t see them lol

Dabi’s bad habit : he takes things without asking. And then leaves them wherever and forgets where he left it. Smh he forgets to eat throughout the day, so everyone takes turns forcing feeding him.

Good habits : he knows how to sew. If anyone’s clothes get damaged he can fix them. He wouldn’t tell them it’s him and that he just knows someone. He’s a portable fire starter. Burns all the garbage everyone accumulates <3 also knows the best hideouts for the league.

Toga’s bad habit : leaves her things around, specially in the most out of context places. Like a knife in the bathtub, some jar of blood in the microwave, and her hairbrush taped to the wall.

good habits: she’s really good at doing laundry and getting any stains out the clothes 👍🏼 Surprisingly she does an amazing job at organizing and managing things like money and food. (For others, when it come to her money she might be a bit more loose with it)

Twice’s bad habit : he’s a sleeptalker, not walker—but a talker. And with his split personality it’s all over the place. He makes doubles of the others when lonely. It can get unconventional. Only has one pair of outfit and has to constantly be washing it.

good habit : always willing to help out. wether it’s cleaning, talking to the new members, or providing basic assistance. Is mediocre at a lot of things. Always prepare everyone’s favorite drink in the morning (coffee, tea, glass of milk, energy drinks, a fruit juice/smoothie)

Mr Compress’s bad habit : over dramatic about all his pet peeves. Also quite a picky gentleman. He simply desires the best treatment, though he is fine with just average care. Tends to speak in a way that isn’t so common, has caused many misunderstandings before.

good habit : he literally carries everyone’s things. Moving place to place is a breeze with his quirk. Has very good cleaning habits :D is very gentle with anyone’s mistakes and is willing to make up for the others. Example, you forgot to do the laundry today, no worries ! He’ll do it for you <333

Spinner’s bad habit : always has late night snack (cough-actually a huge dinner buffet-cough) every night. Tends to zone out when gaming. Always mumbling, he’s not used to speaking up so he tends to mumble all the time.

Good habits : is okay at confrontation and communication. If there’s an issue he’s willing to address and solve it. Very open about his opinion (even if he mumbles it lol) 

Kurogiri is perfect 🥰      

there’s no such thing as bad habits from him <3

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Masterlist

[sah1x1s-archived]

Law & Order: Sah Edition

“She looks sad. She looks angry. She looks different from everyone else I know—she cannot put on that happy face others wear when they know they are being watched. She doesn’t put on a face for me, which makes me trust her somehow.”

Updated rules for writing with this RP blog! Please like it when you've read them!

Rule 1: Multi-Fandom, Multi-Verse, Multi-Ship, and OC Friendly.

Please note that I am open to a wide range of fandoms, universes, ships, and original characters (OCs). However, for a smooth and engaging interaction, I need to feel that our muses are compatible. If it seems unlikely that our characters will connect meaningfully, I may not follow back. This isn't personal—sometimes muses just don't align. Additionally, if you are using a side-blog, kindly inform me so I can make sure to follow your RP blog directly. Thank you!

Rule 2: Post Formatting and Reply Ettiquite.

I strive to respond to threads in a timely manner, but please understand that muse can be unpredictable at times. If it's been about a week or so without a reply or update on a particular thread, feel free to reach out to me here or on Discord— I'm more than happy to hear from you! Regarding writing format, I tend to write longer replies, but please don’t feel pressured to match that length. As long as you provide a paragraph or two in return, that’s more than enough. When I post from my laptop or desktop, I might include banners, GIFs, and occasionally style the text, though I keep it simple overall. I don't mind how you choose to format your replies—whether using icons or not, or with or without formatting. I’m here to write with you, and I’m sure you have great aesthetics! Let’s just enjoy the process together.

Rule 3: I do not forget people on purpose.

I understand that it may appear as though I’m consistently replying to certain individuals, but I want to clarify that this is often due to personal connections or close affiliations with those writers. Sometimes, I may simply have more creative energy for one thread at a given time, while others are on pause. Please know that I do not intentionally ignore anyone. If you ever notice me engaging with a specific person and want to check in or ask how I’m doing, feel free to reach out! I’m always happy to chat. Thank you for your understanding. :)

Rule 4: Type of RP blog I run and who are welcome to intereact and how!

This is a mutually exclusive, multimuse, multiverse, multiship and crossover-friendly RP blog. And for the safety and comfort of all involved, I kindly request that all interactions be with individuals who are 21 or older. The mun behind this blog is 25+, so this is a necessary guideline for both the mun and muses. While anonymous asks are welcome for lighthearted scenarios and skits, I do require knowing who I’m writing with before engaging in any threads, whether through asks or posts. Please feel free to introduce yourself in whichever manner you feel most comfortable. Thank you for understanding!

Rule 5: Ask Memes.

Feel free to send as many asks as you'd like—I truly enjoy them! However, please keep in mind that it may take me some time to respond. I appreciate your patience! I do reserve the right to delete any asks that I deem inappropriate or if I simply feel I lack the inspiration to respond to them. For Ask Memes, they will be posted in their own separate threads and considered as thread starters for those specific characters. I view these memes as a great way to break the ice and make it easier to continue interactions! If you’re running a multimuse blog, please be sure to specify which muse you are writing as when sending asks or starter calls. It helps me to respond more accurately! If you're unsure, feel free to provide a couple of options, and I’ll do my best to choose or reply accordingly. If this isn’t specified, I may either disregard the ask or respond with a random muse. Thank you so much for your understanding, and I look forward to interacting with you! <3

Rule 6: Plotting and Thread Content.

I enjoy pre-plotting threads, so don’t be surprised if, when we first start discussing potential interactions, I suggest talking things through in detail. While I’m open to winging things as well, I do want to note that I’m not the best at writing starters, so I tend to ask my partner to initiate the first post! Please be mindful that I prefer not to be pressured about specific ships, plots, or ideas. If I express that I don’t feel something would work well, I kindly ask that you respect my decision and refrain from bringing it up repeatedly. Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated!

Rule 7: Shipping Muses and Thread Content.

I’m a big fan of shipping and exploring different dynamics, but I believe that chemistry between characters is key. Please don’t take it personally if things don’t develop as we initially expected—sometimes, muses just don’t align the way we hope. I truly appreciate your understanding! I'm not just looking for romantic relationships but familial ones as well as friendships and platonic ones. However, I do not very often change a muse's sexual orientation, so if they identify as "Straight," then that's how I'm writing them, and so on and on.

Rule 8: Approaching different verser or crossovers.

I recently came across a plot idea that I thought was really creative and wanted to share. "An AU where our muses discover the ability to jump into any book they choose. They can explore different worlds, until one day, they land in a fandom where they get stuck. Now, they must navigate the story, avoid being noticed, and figure out how to fix things without meeting a grim fate." This concept is how I approach crossovers, so if you're ever interested in exploring something similar, that's the kind of framework I enjoy! It's a fun way to blend fandoms and create unique scenarios where our characters have to adapt to unfamiliar settings.

Rule 9: Sah's State of Mind.

I want to be transparent about my mental health, as it can sometimes affect my interactions here. I have been diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, insomnia, bipolar disorder type 2, severe depression, schizoaffective disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Despite my best efforts, these conditions can influence my actions, and at times, I may need to take a step back or become quieter for a few days. I never anticipated needing to outline this as a rule, but it's important for you to understand that these health challenges are part of who I am. If you're unfamiliar with borderline personality disorder or any of my other conditions, I encourage you to learn more about them to better understand my experience. I tend to become anxious and worried that I may have unknowingly offended someone, particularly if there’s a delay in communication, like not receiving a reply OOC (out of character), or feeling like I’ve been ignored or ghosted. If you’re someone who struggles with directly telling me if you're no longer interested in talking or writing with me, I kindly ask that you reconsider approaching me. I deeply value the OOC relationships I build with the wonderful muns behind the muses, and I invest a lot into those connections. Please know that I won’t apologize for caring about our interactions.

Rule 10: The Trigger Tagging Situation Here on this RP Blog.

If someone specifically requests that I tag something, I will make every effort to ensure it’s properly tagged. However, I do want to be transparent and say that, more often than not, I can be a bit forgetful when it comes to tagging. I apologize in advance for any oversight. I do my best to keep everyone’s rules in mind, but with the number of people I interact with and my own memory limitations, it’s not always feasible to remember every detail. Because of this, I offer flexibility with my own rules and would greatly appreciate it if the same understanding is extended to me. Please know that I never intend to violate anyone’s rules or cause discomfort, and I’m always open to communication if something needs to be addressed. Your understanding and patience mean a lot!

Rule 11: The content and warnings that come with this RP Blog.

I don’t have many specific triggers to list, but I’m generally open to exploring a wide range of themes. I make an effort to tag all darker threads accordingly, so if you’re interested in exploring content of that nature, please feel free to add me on Discord or DM me directly to discuss. However, please be aware that there may be taboo ships featured on this blog, such as those from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, and these themes may extend to other fandoms as well. Some content I may engage with includes, but is not limited to: gore, horror, smut, incest, assault, violence, blood, mental and physical disorders, pain, drugs, and alcohol. This list may expand over time as new ideas emerge. If any of these themes make you uncomfortable, I completely understand if you choose not to engage. Your comfort and boundaries are respected, and I won’t take offense if you decide to step away.

Rule 12: When FOLLOWING me or UNFOLLOWING me | When to Soft Block vs Hard Block.

We all know that Tumblr can be glitchy, and things like being unfollowed and refollowed can happen unexpectedly. If you've soft blocked me and I unknowingly re-follow you, I realize that may cause some discomfort for both of us. While I understand that there may be reasons behind this, I’m not entitled to an explanation, but I would prefer it if, in cases where you feel the need to soft block me, you simply hard block my RP blog instead. This way, we can avoid any confusion or awkwardness. Additionally, I regularly clean up my followers list, so if you notice I’ve unfollowed you and it seems random, it could be because I mistakenly thought we were no longer mutuals. If this happens, especially if you’re following me from a side blog (which I have no problem with at all!), please feel free to let me know. I’d really appreciate it, and it will help clear up any misunderstandings. Thank you!

[tarotbiscuits]

𝔭𝔦𝔠𝔨 𝔞 𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔡: 𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔞𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔣𝔰

(this is for my female audience interested in men)

˜”°•.˜”°• Who are they?

What do they have to say to you?

What are their intentions towards you? •°”˜.•°”

We'll see what their energy (and the cards) say

Try to meditate on the piles beforehand and choose the one which calls you the most. If you don't feel drawn to any of them, close your eyes, take a deep breath and open your eyes. The pile you notice first is your pile!! If you feel drawn to two piles, i'd suggest choosing the one you're most drawn to, as the messages tend to be similar in nature.

𝔭𝔦𝔩𝔢 1 𝔭𝔦𝔩𝔢 2

𝔭𝔦𝔩𝔢 3 𝔭𝔦𝔩𝔢 4

PILE 1

Signs this might be for you:

444 is significant to you

you have a flowy red dress that you love wearing and it looks great on you (i see you turning around happily in that dress)

Who is your fs?

the hermit, temperance, page of cups rx, page of wands rx, five of swords, king of cups

Greetings, pile 1! For starters, i see that your fs is someone that you’ve already been in a romantic connection with. Your fs is someone who is more introverted or a loner at heart. He usually takes a lot of time for himself to balance his emotions out in his day-to-day life. He can be rather emotionally immature at times, not admitting his feelings for his love interests due to poor communication skills. I feel like he’s not the type to take risks. He wishes to be like everyone else, instead of standing out from the crowd. Your fs is a guy who doesn’t engage in conflicts much. Whenever he gets into conflict with someone, he tends to leave the situation to meditate upon it instead of lashing out. What I see coming for him is the fact that soon enough, he’ll be in his king of cups energy, because he took the time to get to know himself and seek answers to his problems. He’ll become an emotionally mature man, who can be honest about his feelings and support you emotionally when you need him.

His message for you

tower rx, four of cups, justice rx

“I’m sorry (i felt a lump in my throat right after that). Justice wasn’t done in our connection and it’s all my fault. I did you wrong big time and I don’t expect you to even forgive me, let alone take me back. I was a fool in the past when I denied your offer. I pursued other options over you (i don’t feel like this is a third party situation, just casual dating). Now I realized that having a lot of options won’t bring me emotional fulfillment and happiness if they’re not you. Our break-up was a traumatic experience for me and I did everything I could to numb my feelings and forget about you.”

His intentions towards you

death rx, ten of swords rx

Dear pile 1, I’m sorry to break it to you, but for now, your fs wants to heal from the connection. He feels like there are some demons from your past connection that still follow him and he wants to stop them from inflicting more pain on him. He wants to let go of the past and move on with his life. Considering he’s going to be your fs, the story isn’t probably over yet, i think?. Knight of cups rx is at the bottom of the deck, he feels like he can’t make a love offer rn. Under this there’s the queen of cups, omg he sees you as his soulmate. He deff still loves you, but is too heartbroken over the past. Give him time, pile 1. It’s just not the right time for the two of you to be together now.

Extra:

likes reading a lot

also likes ducks (and other feathered animals)

zodiac placements: virgo sun, water signs (cancer, scorpio, pisces) in big 6

PILE 2

Signs this might be for you:

33 is relevant to you

you have sneezed recently or you sneeze a lot

Who is your fs?

three of pentacles rx, three of wands, king of swords rx, seven of wands, ace of wands horizontal (yes, i take horizontals as advice cards), eight of swords, the world (bottom of the deck)

Hello pile 2, hope you’re having a great day! Your fs is someone who’s independent – he prefers to work alone than in groups or in collaboration with another person. He’s likely an adventurous type who travels a lot for work, but also in his free time. When he travels for fun, he likes to explore the natural wonders of our planet: hiking in the woods, tasting the freshness of the water streams around him. On the downside, he can be rather arrogant with his words, feeling like he’s above others intellectually or that people aren’t as honest and truthful like him. He can get a lot of backlash because of this, which makes him feel like he needs to defend for himself most of the time. I see that your fs wants to pursue a new creative endeavor, likely stemming from one of his passions, but he’s afraid. He is advised to take a leap of faith and do it anyway. He won’t know what’s in store for him unless he tries.

You two will probably be in a long distance relationship for a while. He’ll deff open you up to new experiences, getting you out of your comfort zone. Since he’s well travelled, count on him when you two are booking a holiday destination – he tends to know the coolest spots for taking pictures :)

His message for you

sun horizontal, page of pentacles horizontal, three of swords rx, king of cups, four of cups, five of pentacles rx

“Hey baby, it’s okay. The sun isn’t shining today, but that doesn’t mean it won’t shine tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day. I know you’re afraid to take a new beginning, you’ve been hurt so bad by love and all I want to do is take away your pain. I promise you, I’ll take away your pain one day, okay? Just don’t close yourself off to new possibilities, heck even in love. Don’t wait for me. Live your life, explore other options. See what you like and what you don’t. Just remember, you’re never alone. There are people who will love you for who you truly are, your family loves you (i sense that you might have had a difficult upbringing, a dysfunctional family, especially an absent mother, but your fs doesn’t know that yet). I will. You’re never alone, remember that.”

His intentions towards you

the high priestess rx, wheel of fortune rx, the star, nine of pentacles

Pile 2, your fs is closing himself off from your connection in the higher realm for now. Like pile 1, he feels like now is not the right time for you two to be together – your connection is divinely guided by the Universe and his higher self is guiding him towards some hardships in his personal life to learn valuable lessons, which are needed for your connection. He’s hopeful that you exist and he knows that you will be reunited at some point, but for now, he’s happily single and he wants to focus on maintaining his independence.

Extra:

rice is very significant (either his origins are from Asia or he strongly loves/hates rice)

zodiac placements: strong sagittarius, especially sagittarius sun/venus, gemini sun (it might be aspected with pluto, i see mostly conjuncting pluto or squaring/opposing pluto), gemini mercury, leo in big 6 (mostly ascendant and mars)

PILE 3

Signs this might be for you:

you have blue eyes (sorry guys, i can’t get any more signs for this one; he’s also telling me that you’ve eaten something specific recently but i can’t see what; i'm hearing mozarella sticks? lmk if it resonates, i'm not sure on this one)

Who is your fs?

five of pentacles rx, the tower rx, the emperor rx, temperance, page of cups rx, eight of wands, the star (bottom of the deck)

Woahh, pile 3. When i was shuffling the cards for this question, a lot of them fell down. Your fs has a lot to tell you about himself!! I think he has been often told to shut up by others. That’s what made him keep to himself a lot, but with you, he wants to tell you everything. Hahaha, now he's got a much calmer energy. Pile 3, your fs is the type of person that has outbursts of anger and he lashes out everything, but after that he’s like a lamb lmao. I see that your fs has been through some deep, dark shit in his past, likely involving his parents. Either his parents divorced at some point and it affected him deeply or his father abandoned him at a very young age. This broke down his world at the time, but i see that he has healed from it. He wished he had a happy childhood, but he just wants peace now and he got it. I felt his energy for a moment where he kept saying “I just want the fights to be over already” and then he kept repeating “over” again and again in a very demanding tone. I’d say his unhappy childhood still haunts him at times (i got death rx on the bottom of the deck when i clarified the first 3 cards), but he does believe in true love. He’s someone who tends to keep his feelings in check and his life in moderation. He can act immature at times, but i feel like he does feel sorry for his actions and tries his best to become a better person.

His message for you

six of swords, nine of pentacles, the well rx (i'm using ethereal visions by matt hughes it's my only deck ;-;), knight of swords

“Be strong. You have walked away from so many storms, that you’ve become this beautiful butterfly on your own. And if you haven’t walked away from those toxic people – do it NOW. I’ve walked away from my parents and friends, was it easy? No, but I’m much better now. You gotta be who you truly are as a person, you’re so fricking valuable. You need to be upfront and direct with people. I’ll teach you if you can’t. Why have you blocked your creative juices? Was it because of pain? Don’t let past hurts hinder your light. You are this beautiful goddess that is above EVERYONE else (i can really feel this feminine energy coming from you). I’ll worship the ground you walk on. Just don’t let them win.”

Pile 3, i feel like some of you are healing from a break-up, but you are already almost fully healed. You’re glowing and your fs adores that.

His intentions towards you

six of cups rx, page of swords rx, king of wands rx, wheel of fortune horizontal (yes, i take horizontals as advice cards)

For some of you, i feel like you already know them. Your fs might have been a childhood friend, a neighbor or a classmate that you used to hang around with when you were kids, just doing fun stuff. I don’t think he was in your life for a long time, you probably lost contact for some reason. I also don’t think you two were romantically involved, but if you did, it was more of an innocent fling.

For others of you, this is someone completely new and the six of cups rx might just point out to his unhappy childhood. He’s been pondering on it lately and feels very sad, maybe even depressed.

Either way, I feel like he’s going to enter your life really soon, but it won’t be at the right time. He’s not someone that is guided by a higher force, his intuition is quite blocked and he tends to act on his impulsive feelings without thinking of the consequences too much.

If you already know him, he might tell you about some harsh truth. Either point out to something you do which isn’t right, so he’s gonna call you out on that or he’ll say something regarding the times when you hung out as kids, which didn’t sit right with him.

If you don’t know him, he’s probably going to show off to you in a very “look at me, I’m better than the other guys” kinda way.

Whether you already know him or you will in the near future, i do feel like he has romantic feelings for you and he feels like he has got a chance to be with you, but like i said, the universe is saying that right now is not the right time for your union. It’s very likely that he’s still in school/college and is very focused on it. He doesn’t know if he should choose to pursue you or his career rn. This last bunch of cards just flew so this has been heavily on his mind. I’d say don’t engage too much with him, this is only the beginning of your love story. It will solve itself out when the timing is right.

Extra:

bichons/havanese dogs might be significant to your or them

zodiac placements: heavy aries and leo energy (i wouldn’t be surprised if most of his birth chart is filled with fire placements), libra sun or an afflicted sun (with lots of squares and oppositions)  

PILE 4

Signs this might be for you:

you had a very hard time picking a pile (yeah, i literally didn’t know if i should make this pile or not)

your fav color is purple

Who is your fs?

three of swords horizontal (yes, i take horizontals as advice cards), the emperor horizontal, three of cups rx, nine of wands rx, knight of wands, six of wands

Pile 4!!! Spirit was telling me to do this reading asap because it’s urgent (and then i got a call lmao). Your fs is likely a very busy guy, getting calls all the time. Damn, I just saw him in a suit. He’s someone influential in his career for sure, probably works in business. Even the cards hardly came out, like he didn’t want to talk because he’s too busy atm. I see that for your fs, career is everything. He is used to declining invitations to social events and parties because he would rather spend his time and attention on making money. He’s very VERY successful in what he does, i see massive recognition here, because he seizes every opportunity to advance in his career and he goes for them!! Sadly, he wasn’t always like this. At times he felt like the competition was too much and that he won’t succed, but in the end he gave his all, despite his feelings. He is advised not to become too bossy with the people around him, even though i feel like he isn’t like that anyway. I also believe that his overfixation on his career comes from a past break-up that he hasn’t processed fully. He is advised to process it and move on, instead of trying to simply forget it by doing something else.

His message for you

The chariot rx, queen of cups, page of pentacles clarified by two of swords, eight of cups clarified by seven of cups, five of pentacles rx clarified by the hermit, five of swords rx clarified by the king of wands

This is more about his ex and what happened to him, I feel like he really needs to vent so be gentle with him pile 4

“I wasn’t ready for her. I wasn’t ready for our relationship, but my feelings for her were so much, I just couldn’t hold them inside of me anymore. At that time I believed this was a new beginning for us, one that we would both (and i emphasize both) build for, something which would have lasted for a long time (i’m hearing everlasting). I felt like something was off from the beginning, but I thought it was only my imagination playing tricks. I wanted to take it slow because I wasn’t sure…oh boy, was I wrong. I had to leave when I found out that she was cheating on me this whole time. I poured my heart to her and she cheated…I don’t want to remember what happened after. It took me a long time to get over it, get over her (i’m hearing sleepless nights). I felt so alone and abandoned, I didn’t want to talk with anyone, I drank myself to sleep. But this experience made me into who I am today. I know I’m strong. I weathered storms no one would have imagined and I came out victorious. But I’m never leaving my heart to anyone else.

I don’t know if you exist…I’m feeling strong now, but what if it’s just a façade? Do you even exist? (death is on the bottom of the deck , under the death card is the queen of wands rx, he really doesn’t feel like you exist). I feel like the world is filled with harsh people, people that only want to benefit from others and I’m not letting others exploit me anymore.”

Pile 4, i honestly feel like he has so much love to give to others, even to you, but i’m not sure if he sees that. He will make a great partner, i can feel this already. Please show him that you will be there for him and that your feelings are genuine. He needs it.

His intentions towards you

four of pentacles, page of wands, ace of cups, seven of swords

Well, he’s deff focusing on his finances rn for sure. I see that there will be a passionate, new beginning in your connection. I don’t think you two have met, i feel like this is a fresh energy. I heard that you will have to make the first step tho. He will open up to you quite fast after that, but he will also feel a bit wary in the beginning. He doesn’t want the past to repeat itself. I see him trying to peek into your phone when you’re texting someone, just to make sure you’re not cheating on him or anything. He does have the tendency to become paranoid, which can get out of hand if not addressed. My advice to you is to have open communication at all cost. I see a lot of love between the two of you. Don’t let it go to waste.

Extra:

zodiac placements: capricorn in big 3, sun/ascendant conjunct saturn, strong sagittarius and leo in big 6, mars in aries or sagittarius, scorpio energy in big 6 or pluto is significant

[theladycarpathia]

Happiness, love, cohabitation (Clipboards and couches notwithstanding)

a.k.a. Tommy's still smitten by Clipboard Buck. (sequel to To Do List: Me (Buck's Tasklist)

“I hope you’re ready for this,” Eddie says under his breath, just as the moving truck pulls in.

“Ready for what?” Tommy asks, shielding his eyes against the sun. “Happiness? Love? Cohabitation?”

Eddie just gives him a look. Perhaps there’s a reason that he’s the only person from the 118 that volunteered to help today. Hen and Howie were conveniently otherwise engaged. Cowards.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” he says darkly, nodding at the gleam of Buck’s truck down the road. It sounds ridiculous but Tommy’s stomach still dips a little at the mere suggestion of Buck.

“Evan’s moving in today,” Tommy says, choosing to ignore every single thinly veiled, ominous word out of Eddie’s mouth. “I swear to you, I have no idea.”

“Yes, you do,” Eddie says, as Buck pulls in, the flatbed still somehow piled high despite the large truck filled with Buck’s belongings. It hadn’t made a lot of sense for Tommy to move into Buck’s loft so it had been an easy decision. Tommy lives close enough to the 118 that it’s not that much more of a commute for Buck. “But you’re being a dick about it.”

“I told you,” Tommy says easily, as Buck climbs out, balancing a box on his knee as he shuts the door. “I’m happy.” Eddie just shakes his head.

“We’ll see how long that lasts,” he promises, as Buck bounds over.

“Hi,” Tommy says and Buck beams back, beautiful and soft.

“Hi,” Buck returns, almost looking uncertain. Tommy’s had to face a few wobbly moments in the past few weeks. But he gathers that the past few times Buck’s moved in with someone it hasn’t gone very well.

“It’s not until Eddie pointedly clears his throat that Tommy realizes they’re just standing in the drive, with the removal men waiting patiently.

“Sorry we were a bit late,” Buck apologizes, looking as flustered as Tommy feels. They’re still in the ‘honeymoon stage’ as Hen likes to quip. Which is bull, because Tommy knows that when it’s the right person that it never just goes away. Hen and Karen for starters, are not exempt. “There was some trouble getting the furniture down the stairwell. I don’t remember it being so difficult to move in…”

“That’s because it was flat packed, Buck,” Eddie says and rolls his shoulders. “Where do we start?”

And then - alright, so Tommy had been expecting it, he had - Buck reaches into the cardboard box and pulls out a clipboard.

The look that Eddie gives him is very nearly worth it.

“I fucking told you,” Eddie says, tipping back the bottle of water until it’s empty. “God, I just knew it.”

“So you did,” Tommy says and Eddie crumples up the bottle.

“Are you telling me that you don’t see it?” he demands, tossing the bottle towards the recycling. “Are you seriously telling me that Clipboard Buck is just…Buck to you?”

Tommy’s been hearing about Clipboard Buck for nearly as long as he’s been dating Buck. Like Maurice, the jinx and the heist, it’s one of those things that seems to just pass into the 118 lore. Clipboard Buck is like a unicorn that occasionally appears before vanishing once more. If unicorns wore frowns and clicked their pens if you forgot to follow his exacting instructions.

The thing is that Tommy doesn’t mind. Everyone has their quirks. Howard smacks his gum, Hen frequently forgets to turn off her mothering, Eddie veers to the over dramatic. It’s just one of those things you learn to live with for someone you love.

“It’s endearing,” he says defensively, while Eddie snorts. “Besides, you just have to know how to use it.”

Eddie pauses, mouth open, before he wrinkles his nose. It didn’t take him long to think of the implications.

To be fair, it hadn’t taken Tommy all that long either the first time he’d seen Buck with a clipboard.

“Actually,” Eddie says, grabbing a few new bottles of water from the fridge. “I really don’t want to know.”

“Want to know what?” Buck asks, appearing in the doorway. It’s been hard work - it’s a beautifully sunny Los Angeles day and even with Buck’s loft, there’s still an astounding amount of stuff that needs to be moved in and arranged. Tommy’s - now theirs - bedroom has a significant pile of boxes lined up against the far wall.

Absolutely nothing obstructing the bed. Tommy had been very clear about that.

“What you do with that clipboard,” Eddie says bluntly and ducks out. Tommy reaches out to grab hold of Buck’s waist and pull him closer, deftly removing the clipboard from his grasp.

“This isn’t unpacking,” Buck says against Tommy’s bottom lip. Tommy slides a hand down the curve of Buck’s rear and isn’t surprised that Buck doesn’t take a whole lot of persuading to lean in. They’re pressed together, chests down to knees, and Tommy is pretty sure that Eddie handing out water to the removal guys can at least buy them a few minutes.

“We deserve a break,” Tommy insists and kisses him.

And yeah, a break turns into a few minutes of making out like horny teenagers against the kitchen island but sometimes you take what you have to to get through the day.

“This is going to make it very difficult to move the bookcase,” Buck sighs, letting Tommy kiss along his jaw.

“How’s the list?” Tommy asks, because that’s another, unforeseen advantage of Buck’s clipboard. Aside from the very memorable occasions where Buck writes out every awesomely filthy want in his head (to be ticked off meticulously) it also gives them an end goal for when everyone else goes home.

“Getting there,” Buck says, sliding a hand around Tommy’s neck. “A few more boxes, some bigger items. Are you sure all this stuff is going to fit?” Tommy shrugs. He hadn’t worried about it too much. He’s got the space and they’re both off tomorrow. Tonight they can christen the bed and unpack Buck’s essentials and tomorrow they can make a start on combining their lives.

“We’ll manage,” Tommy soothes. He can hear noises outside and they don’t have long but he wants to keep Buck here for just a moment longer. He smells faintly of sweat and lemon shower gel and Tommy wants to just keep breathing it in.

But when they emerge from the kitchen - the back of Buck’s hair rather obviously ruffled - they encounter an obstacle in the living room. Literally.

“We’ll have to shift that,” Tommy notes, because there’s not quite enough space for his couch, Buck’s couch, and the armchair. “It’s not exactly going to…Buck?”

Because Buck is staring, wide-eyed at the collection of furniture currently crowding Tommy’s front room.

“You have a couch,” Buck says and Tommy blinks.

“Yes,” he says. “Most people do.”

“I have a couch,” Buck says and Tommy is completely lost. He’s learned a lot of things about Buck by now - the jealousy (the incident with Sal was a good indicator,) the insecurities, the abandonment issues, and the obvious Clipboard Tyrant tendencies. Not one of them has been a deal breaker, despite Buck’s concerns.

But this is new.

“Still not seeing the problem here, Evan,” Tommy says. Eddie passes by the open doorway, hands now empty of water bottles. He sticks his head through, and briefly makes a confused face at Tommy behind Buck’s back.

“My previous couches came with girlfriends,” Buck explains and Eddie hurriedly disappears again.

“Did this couch come with a girlfriend?” Tommy asks, eying the blue three-seater that’s been wedged up against the wall.

“Look, I never had a couch because I lived in a frat house and then with Abby. And then couch one was chosen by Ali, who left me. Couch two had to go when Taylor moved in and then she moved out and I didn’t have a couch. And then my mom bought me a couch but Cameron had her baby on it and Couch four had to go to Goodwill because it was chosen by Natalia the Death Doula.”

“I see,” Tommy says, although he really doesn’t. But there’s not a lot of point in trying to decipher Buck when he babbles like this. “So. You bought this couch. By yourself?”

“No girlfriends,” Buck says and gestures to the couch in question. “Statistically, I don’t have the best luck with couches. Or girlfriends. If I get rid of this couch, I’m starting the cycle all over again. I know Hen told me to stop counting but if I buckle on this it’s very not Buck 5.0.”

Not one word of that made sense to Tommy. But he knows when Buck is spiraling and for some reason right now, Buck is spiraling.

“Evan,” Tommy says and rests his hands on either side of Buck’s face. He strokes his thumbs over Buck’s cheeks until he stops talking. “It’s fine. We can keep your couch. Mine can go downstairs or we can move the armchair. You don’t need to get rid of it.”

“I don’t?” Buck asks, looking dumbfounded.

“No,” Tommy says firmly. He still doesn’t quite understand it but the thing is that he doesn’t need to to soothe Buck. Buck’s worried about something and he can fix it. That’s all there is. “We’ll sort it out tomorrow. Your couch looks nice up here.”

“Okay,” Buck mumbles and then slumps against Tommy. “Thanks.”

“Of course,” Tommy says and presses a kiss against the port-wine stain of Buck’s birthmark.

They stay like that for a while, wrapped around each other, Buck tucking his head in the curve of Tommy’s neck.

“I knew there might be complications moving in together, I just didn’t expect something like that,” Tommy says frankly when Buck finally lifts his head up.

“I’ll explain later,” Buck says, looking a little sheepish now that the moment of panic is over. “We should get the rest of the stuff in. Where’s Eddie?”

“Run away like a chicken,” Tommy says. “Does he know about the couch theory?”

“He knows,” Buck says darkly. Okay, maybe this is another part of the 118 lore - and Tommy needs to remember to ask later about the Buck labeling system. What was Buck 1.0? Does he even want to know?

When they emerge out into the sunshine again, the removal men and Eddie are sitting on the grass out front, drinking water.

“All good?” Eddie asks and Buck offers him a hand.

“Good,” he says, pulling Eddie up. “Are we nearly done?”

“You tell me,” Eddie says, putting his hands on his hips and looking at Tommy. It’s very much saying ‘You asked for this.’

But all Tommy can think as Buck hurries back inside for his clipboard is that yes, he absolutely did.

[srslyblvck]

the devil you know, avengers

pairing: avengers x fem!reader

synopsis: the avengers seem really desperate as they come to you—the person who went under their skin like no one else to help them win against hydra. while they are walking on eggshells around you, you are having fun causing chaos.

warnings: mentions of y/n (maybe), blood, violence, gore

word count: 3.6k

chapter: 9/?

series masterlist

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ THE AVENGERS WERE GATHERED in the briefing room, the mood tense as Tony finished going over the information they’d just uncovered about Hydra’s “Project Eclipse.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Sam said, rubbing his temples. “They’re planning to shut down the country’s infrastructure, unleash a virus, and mind-control half the population?”

“That’s about the gist of it,” Natasha replied, her tone dry. “And let’s not forget the sleeper agents waiting to dismantle everything from the inside.”

“It’s like a supervillain starter pack,” you muttered, crossing your arms. “All they’re missing is a volcano lair and a maniacal laugh.”

Tony snorted, though his expression remained grim as he glanced at Bruce and Steve. “And it’s not just theoretical anymore. They’re ready to go operational. We’re running out of time.”

Just then, FRIDAY’s voice came through, unusually tense. “Sir, I’m detecting an unauthorized breach in the tower’s security system.”

Before anyone could respond, the hum of machinery filled the room, and then, without warning, a swarm of Hydra drones smashed through the windows, glass shattering everywhere. The air filled with the high-pitched whine of energy weapons as the drones opened fire, and everyone dove for cover.

“Everyone down!” Steve shouted, raising his shield just in time to deflect a burst of energy aimed at Natasha.

“Drones? Seriously?” you shouted over the noise. “How unoriginal.”

“Let’s save the commentary for later,” Tony snapped, already halfway into his suit as his helmet clicked into place. “FRIDAY, release their cuffs.”

Your cuffs fell away with a soft click, and the familiar rush of power surged through you, shadows pooling at your feet, ready and waiting. “Now we’re talking.”

The fighting was relentless, and the drones kept coming. They moved in coordinated waves, almost as if they were responding to every attack the team threw at them.

FRIDAY’s voice broke through the chaos. “Sir, the drones are downloading sensitive files at an alarming rate. They’ve gained access to every file in the Stark Industries database—including your personal archives.”

“Which means,” Clint shouted from across the room as he fired a well-placed arrow into a drone, “they’re not just getting info on our missions—they’re getting everything. Everything about us.”

“Fantastic,” you quipped, shadows darting around as you shot down another drone. “So, what, we’re just an open book for Hydra now? This day just keeps getting better.”

The team fought on, each member taking down drones as they could, but no matter how many they destroyed, more seemed to pour in through every broken window and crevice.

Steve managed to shield a group of you from a blast, his face tense. “We can’t keep this up. These things aren’t stopping.”

One of the drones locked onto you, its targeting laser tracing a line across your chest. Just as you prepared to move, a metal arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you to the ground. A blast sizzled over your head, close enough that you felt the heat.

“Careful,” he muttered, his gaze lingering on you for a split second before he turned back to fire at the drone.

You blinked, taken aback but grateful, only managing a quick nod before you launched back into the fray. The drones swarmed relentlessly, their energy blasts filling the air with heat and light.

Finally, Tony shouted, “We’re outmatched here! We need to fall back. Now!”

Steve nodded, his shield deflecting another blast as he signaled to the team. “Everyone, head for the stairs. Move!”

One by one, you and the others sprinted for the stairwell, ducking and dodging as drones continued to fire from every direction. You could feel your heart pounding as you rushed down the narrow steps, Bucky close behind you. Natasha led the way, kicking open a side door, and soon you were sprinting down the crowded streets of the city, trying to blend into the crowd and lose the drones.

The team ducked into a small café, breathless and exhausted, doing your best not to attract attention as you found an empty table in the back. The place was quiet, customers chatting and sipping their drinks, completely unaware of the chaos just blocks away.

You sank into a chair, wiping the sweat from your brow as you tried to catch your breath. Clint slid into the seat across from you, his eyes wide and disbelieving. “Did that really just happen?”

Tony leaned forward, his face grim. “They have everything on us now—our pasts, our weaknesses. Hydra’s not just playing games anymore.”

For a moment, no one spoke. Everyone looked around the table, faces grim, each of you realizing just how deeply Hydra had infiltrated.

“Well,” you said quietly, “we’re screwed.”

A waitress placed mugs of coffee on the table, eyeing each of you suspiciously as you all sat, dishevelled and bruised, but everyone was too tired to care. Tony took a long sip, his fingers tapping on the table as he worked out a plan.

“Alright,” he said finally, glancing around the table. “Hydra knows exactly where we are, and they’ve got eyes on us through every camera, satellite, and hacked device in the area. If we go anywhere as one big group, we’ll be an easy target.”

“We need to split up,” Natasha said finally, her voice low and decisive. “Sticking together makes us easier to track.”

Steve nodded, crossing his arms as he leaned back. “Hydra’s already got their eyes on us, and staying in one place just makes it easier for them to send more drones, more operatives. Four groups, each heading in different directions.”

“Small teams would make us harder to find,” Sam agreed, glancing around the table. “If we’re scattered, they’d have to spread their resources thin trying to catch us all.”

Tony took out his tablet, grimacing as he remembered Hydra had accessed everything. He tossed it onto the table, frustrated. “We need to ditch the tech. Phones, and tracking devices—all compromised. Anything tied to Stark Industries is under Hydra’s surveillance now.”

“Phones too?” Peter asked, reluctantly sliding his cell onto the table.

Tony sighed, looking at Peter. “Sorry, kid, but yes. Hydra’s got access to everything. The second we power those things back on, they’ll know our every move.”

Peter reluctantly placed his phone down, and the rest of you followed suit, piling phones, earpieces, and other tracking tech on the table.

“So who’s going with who?” Sam asked, glancing around. “Might as well know who I’m babysitting for the next couple of hours.”

“Sam and I will stick together,” Steve said without hesitation. “We’ve got some experience lying low.”

“Natasha and I can pair up,” Clint added, giving her a nod. “We’ll take the west route. We know enough safe spots to lay low for a while.”

“That leaves me with Bruce and the kid,” Tony said, looking resigned but resolved. “I’ve got some equipment stashed in an old Stark facility nearby. We’ll pick up supplies there and head to the mountains.”

You could already feel it coming, the inevitable. You raised an eyebrow at Bucky, who was giving you the same look. “Guess that means we’re stuck together,” you said, trying to sound casual.

Bucky let out a low groan, running a hand down his face. “This is not my day.”

Tony smirked, clearly enjoying the pairing. “Well, look on the bright side, Barnes. At least you’ve got a chance to watch her back, since someone is currently without cuffs.”

You shot him a glare but didn’t argue. Bucky eyed you with suspicion, his gaze flicking to your shadow-powered hands before he muttered, “Yeah, great. Just what I needed.”

Everyone exchanged brief, quiet goodbyes, understanding the risk that came with splitting up. Clint and Natasha clasped hands before separating, while Tony ruffled Peter’s hair, giving him a gruff, “Stay close, kid.” Finally, you were all on the move, slipping out of the cafe one by one, trying to blend into the crowd.

You and Bucky broke off in a different direction, heading down a deserted side street, eyes peeled for a vehicle.

“What’s the plan for a ride?” Bucky asked, glancing around at the empty alley, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

You stopped as soon as you caught sight of a beat-up, dust-covered old car parked beside a loading dock, half-hidden by a pile of crates. It was an old, rusted Cadillac with chipped paint and a suspicious dent on the side. It looked like it hadn’t been touched in years, but it was all you had for now.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, eyeing the car like it might fall apart at the touch. “You really think that thing’s gonna open? Let alone start?”

You smirked, ignoring his doubts as you approached the car. “Watch and learn, Barnes.”

First, you pressed your fingers under the handle, feeling around for the gap, and slid out a thin metal lock-pick from your belt. You carefully wedged it into the crack, maneuvering the pick with the precision you’d honed over the years. Bucky watched, clearly not impressed yet, his arms crossed as he leaned against a nearby crate.

“You know, this might actually go faster if you helped,” you muttered, glancing at him.

He just shrugged. “I’m enjoying the show.”

You rolled your eyes and focused on the lock, feeling the tension adjust slightly under your pick until… click. The car door swung open, the stale smell of old upholstery hitting you in the face.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, still unimpressed. “Alright, you got it open. Now let’s see if you can actually get it running.”

You slipped into the driver’s seat, leaning down to mess with the wires under the steering column. You pulled a couple of wires free, twisted them together, and tapped them against the ignition. After a moment of silence, the car roared to life, vibrating as the engine struggled but caught on. You leaned back, a triumphant grin on your face.

“Guess I still got it,” you said, giving Bucky a smug look.

He let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. “Yeah, well, don’t get too cocky. Move over,” he said, nodding toward the passenger seat.

“What?” you asked, frowning.

“I’m driving,” he said, one hand already reaching for the steering wheel as he gestured for you to switch seats. “I’d rather not die today, and I don’t trust you behind the wheel.”

You scoffed, feigning offense. “Excuse me, I’m a fantastic driver.”

He just raised an eyebrow, waiting. “Sure. And I’m a yoga instructor. Now move.”

Grumbling, you climbed over the center console into the passenger seat, shooting him an exaggerated glare as he slid in and took the wheel. “Alright, fine. But if we end up lost, that’s on you.”

“Noted,” he said, giving the wheel an experimental turn. The car groaned in protest but held together. “Buckle up. This is probably going to be bumpy.”

The mission was only beginning, but the stakes had never felt higher.

The old Cadillac rumbled along the winding road, the distant hum of the city long behind as the countryside stretched out around you in golden fields and thick patches of forest. It had been hours since you and Bucky had left the café, the road empty save for the occasional truck or weather-beaten farmhouse passing by.

To Bucky’s surprise, you had been silent the entire ride. No sarcastic remarks, no teasing. You just sat there, looking out the window, watching the scenery blur past. Every now and then, he’d glance at you out of the corner of his eye, expecting a comment, maybe even a smirk, but you just kept staring out the window, lost in thought.

The silence was almost peaceful, but there was something strange about it—something uncharacteristically still that made him feel like he was sitting next to a different person. He shifted in his seat, opening his mouth once or twice to say something, but the words just didn’t come. Maybe you needed the quiet.

But then, suddenly, Tony’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie, and both of you flinched at the sound.

“Alright, check-in time,” Tony’s voice echoed. “Everyone still on the road?”

One by one, the replies came through.

“Yeah, we’re here,” Sam’s voice said, a slight edge of tension in his usually calm tone.

“We’re all good,” Natasha replied next, Clint’s voice in the background, mumbling something inaudible.

You leaned forward and grabbed the walkie from Bucky’s side, pressing the button. “Still here.”

Bucky glanced at you, eyebrows raised. It was the first thing you’d said since you got in the car, but you didn’t meet his eyes. You just stared at the walkie as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

A pause followed, then Steve’s voice came through, steady but cautious. “Alright. Listen, we can’t keep running aimlessly. We need somewhere to regroup and make a plan. Somewhere Hydra won’t track us.”

Silence fell on the line. Even though Steve had spoken the truth, no one seemed to have a solution. Finding a truly safe location, where Hydra wouldn’t sniff them out in hours, was nearly impossible. If anyone did have a safe house, Hydra had probably tracked it already, especially with the amount of data they’d managed to pull from Stark’s systems.

In the quiet, you bit your lip, hesitating. You had a place—somewhere buried so far in your past that even Hydra wouldn’t think to look for you there. But bringing everyone there… letting them see that part of you… it wasn’t something you’d planned on doing, maybe ever.

Still, this was life or death.

You took a deep breath, then pressed down on the walkie. “I know a place.”

Silence followed, and you could practically feel everyone on the other end of the line turning their heads in shock.

“You?” Clint’s voice came through, incredulous. “You have a safe house?”

“Yeah, I do,” you replied, keeping your voice steady. “It’s in Michigan. Middle of nowhere. It’s safe.”

Bucky’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at you, his brow furrowing. “Michigan? You’re telling me we have to drive twelve hours to get there?”

The line crackled again as Tony’s voice chimed in, dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, sure, let’s just take a twelve-hour road trip through the entire Northeast while Hydra’s out for blood. What could go wrong?”

You rolled your eyes, slumping back in your seat. “You have a better idea, Stark? Besides, we could stop along the way, grab something to eat, maybe even sleep. Or,” you added with a smirk, “we could all bond. Good ol’ Avengers bonding time.”

Bucky scoffed beside you, muttering under his breath. “Right. Bonding. That’s what we need.”

You couldn’t resist the urge to nudge him with your elbow, a hint of mischief in your eyes. “Come on, Barnes. It’ll be fun. Think of all the memories we’ll make.”

Bucky just gave you a deadpan look. “Memories of you trying to get us killed, maybe.”

Tony’s voice cut back in, sounding exasperated but resigned. “Fine. Let’s head for Michigan. If this is our best shot, we’ll take it. Everyone, get some food, gas up, and keep a low profile. We’ll meet up as soon as we’re out of range.”

“Copy that,” Steve’s voice came through. “See you all there.”

With a final crackle, the walkie went silent. You tossed it back onto the dashboard and leaned back, watching the sun dip lower over the countryside. The nerves that had been coiled in your stomach began to settle as you mentally prepared yourself for where you were headed.

Bucky stayed quiet for a moment, clearly mulling over the unexpected revelation that you had a place to take everyone, a place you’d never mentioned.

“So,” he said finally, glancing at you, “what’s in Michigan?”

You just shrugged, not looking at him. “Old ties, I guess. Somewhere no one would think to look.”

Bucky studied your profile for a second, something unreadable in his expression, but he didn’t press you for details. He just turned his eyes back to the road, gripping the wheel as he accelerated. The car hummed along the empty highway, and for the first time, you felt a strange sense of calm creeping in, knowing you’d be heading somewhere familiar.

After a few hours of driving through nothing but countryside and dusty roads, Bucky finally pulled the Cadillac into a small gas station on the outskirts of a rundown town. The pump was ancient, the kind you almost expected to crank by hand, and the station itself looked like it hadn’t seen a remodel since the ‘80s. Perfect, really, for laying low.

As he put the car in park, you stretched, groaning, and finally stepped out of the car, feeling your stiff muscles relax. “Alright, I’ll get food. You do...whatever grumpy, ex-Winter Soldiers do while getting gas.”

He rolled his eyes “Just try not to buy out the entire snack aisle, alright?”

“Oh, you mean like you and your gas station jerky addiction?” You said with a grin.

Without waiting for his comeback, you headed inside the convenience store. It was small and smelled faintly of burnt coffee, but it was stocked with the essentials: stale pastries, greasy bags of chips, and suspiciously flavored sodas. You went straight for the snacks, grabbing a few bags of chips, a pack of donuts that looked questionably old, and—just because you could—a bright green bottle of soda.

When you returned to the car, Bucky was finishing up at the pump, giving the Cadillac a cautious once-over as if it might fall apart any second. He looked up when you handed him the bottle.

“Green Lightning Blast?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you trying to poison me?”

“Oh, please,” you said with a smirk. “This is quality gas station soda. You’re lucky I didn’t grab Mystery Melon instead.” You leaned into the trunk, arranging the bags of chips like they were valuable cargo.

Bucky uncapped the soda, sniffed it cautiously, then took a small sip before grimacing. “Tastes like nuclear waste.”

“Good for the soul,” you quipped, popping open a bag of chips and tossing one into your mouth as you hopped into the passenger seat.

Just as he was about to follow you, Bucky suddenly stopped and glanced across the street at a dingy hardware store, a thoughtful look crossing his face.

“Hold on,” he said, sounding half to himself.

You frowned, watching him as he headed across the street. “Where the hell are you going?”

“Hardware store,” he called back, not looking over his shoulder.

“Why?” you asked, hurrying to catch up, half-amused and half-irritated. “In case you forgot, I literally control shadows. I could just snap my fingers and—” You waved your hand theatrically in front of him, “boom. Done. Easy.”

“Yeah, well, in case you forgot,” Bucky replied, deadpan, “I don’t trust things I can’t see. And I’m sure as hell not trusting my life to some tricked-out parlor magic.”

You rolled your eyes, following him inside. “Wow, sounds like someone needs a lesson in appreciating useful skills.”

He ignored your comment, grabbing a basket and heading straight for the aisle with the camping and hunting gear. You watched as he loaded up on some surprisingly heavy-duty stuff—flashlights, a utility knife, zip ties, rope, even a small hatchet.

“Are we escaping Hydra or reenacting a camping trip from hell?” you asked, leaning over the basket to eye the growing pile. “Are you planning to hunt with that, or are you just compensating for something?”

Bucky shot you a glare. “You wanna keep it down? I’m making sure we have options.”

You held up a flashlight, wiggling it in his face. “Options? This is the kind of thing that screams, ‘I live alone in a cabin and only eat canned beans.’”

Bucky just plucked the flashlight out of your hands. “I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”

You scoffed, but couldn’t help the grin spreading on your face. “Sure, whatever you say, Boy Scout.”

With his basket full, Bucky finally headed toward the register, where a bored-looking cashier barely glanced up as he scanned the items. When the total came up, Bucky fished around in his pocket, mumbling something about how “Tony better reimburse us for all this.”

When you finally got back to the car, Bucky loaded up the trunk, placing his hardware store haul next to the snacks you’d bought, each bag and tool meticulously arranged.

You slumped back into the passenger seat, watching as he placed the hatchet at an angle—perfectly within reach if he ever needed to grab it. He caught your eye and raised an eyebrow as if daring you to comment.

“You know,” you said, smirking as he closed the trunk, “most people just carry a pocketknife. But hey, what do I know?”

Bucky shook his head, walking around to the driver’s side. “I’m just being prepared. You want to make fun of it, go ahead, but when this axe comes in handy, I’ll remember that.”

“Oh, trust me,” you said as he got in, buckling up. “If you pull out that hatchet mid-mission, I’ll take a front-row seat to watch the show.”

As Bucky started the car, you threw a couple of chips into your mouth and glanced over, eyes bright with mischief. “So, how does it feel, Barnes? Out here on a top-secret, off-the-grid, government fugitive road trip. Just you, me, and a trunk full of discount hardware.”

He shook his head, eyes focused on the road but unable to hide the small smile tugging at his lips. “Feels like I’m babysitting an overconfident shadow with a snack addiction.”

You laughed, tossing another chip into your mouth. “Hey, you’re the one who insisted on the hatchet. I’m just here for the chips and the company.”

“Lucky me,” he muttered, accelerating as the gas station faded into the distance.

dividers by @dollywons

[what-eats-owls]

Show vs Tell, Or: Please Stop Making Things Difficult for Yourself

I said a while ago that I'd write a brief essay about the most misused craft advice in writing once I wrote 10k words, and for once I actually held myself to that! So now, I'm here to tell you about Show vs Tell, or why people make it more complicated than it needs to be.

First, a basic primer for anyone who hasn't heard this term before: "Show vs Tell"/"Showing vs Telling" refers to "showing" the audience information instead of "telling" it to them. You may be thinking, gosh, that sounds unspecific to the point of being readily misapplied, and you would certainly be right! Lots of folks throw it around without fully grasping what it means, how to use it, or when it doesn't actually apply. And I'd really like everyone to stop making it harder on themselves when there's a very straightforward way to conceptualize it.

So for starters, Chuck Palahniuk has an old but good essay about eliminating "thought" verbs from prose that holds the hell up. But I'm going to tell you an even simpler way to conceptualize the difference between showing and telling:

Eliminate the inner thoughts entirely.

Ask yourself, if my narrator's interior monologue was inaccessible to the audience, how would I convey the same information—literally showing it?

Forget for a moment that your medium is the word, and imagine you only have dialogue and visuals. If this was taking place on the screen or in a graphic novel, how would you convey that this character has a crush on someone in their class? That they're hotheaded? That they're struggling with a decision?

Here's a perfect example of this from the opening scene of Howl's Moving Castle.

Devoid of context, we have a girl trying on a hat in a mirror, and also trying on a fake smile. Then her expression sours and she pulls the hat down over her face until we can only see her frown. She's wearing a plain dress and the hat is simple, despite the elaborate hats and ornaments on display around her.

You don't have to know anything about this character to understand what's being conveyed in this moment: This girl is deeply uncomfortable with trying to be pretty and flirty, but in the safety of privacy she wants that, even though she feels inept and self-conscious about it. She's in this world, but she's not part of it. Even brushing up against it for a moment makes her shut down and reject it with hostility.

More importantly, it's all communicated with a simple gesture and design choices. Not by Sophie thinking to herself, I wish someone would take me dancing—no I don't! I work too hard to have time for dancing!

That's showing. And it's more resonant, because we've all felt silly trying something on in a mirror! Or, say, if you want to show a character has a crush, having them get flustered and laughing too loud. Or showing that they're a hothead by having them snap at a simple disagreement, etc. etc.

This also extends to worldbuilding, dialogue, and stakes.

Worldbuilding: If your story is set in a town run by a crooked sheriff, you could have the narrator say "everyone knows Sheriff Smith is squeezing the shops for bribes." Or the sheriff can stop the narrator for "smelling like weed" while the sheriff's drunken son speeds by, about to total his third BMW.

Dialogue: If your character is angry, they can say "I'm furious." Or they can slam dishes in the sink and insist "I'm not angry" while openly crying. They can snap "I'm not discussing this again." They can demand "What is he doing here?"

Stakes: You can have an all-seeing oracle say "If you do not return the Mystic Orb to the Sunlight Altar by the solstice, the world will plunge forever into darkness." (And as we'll get into it below, sometimes you actually need that.) You can also have intermittent but increasing periods of total darkness occurring as the party travels to the Sunlight Altar. You can have the Mystic Orb start cracking the longer it takes, and the sun getting a little dimmer with every fracture. You can have people's shadows growing bigger and bigger and acting autonomously.

But showing isn't the end-all-be-all; telling absolutely has a place. Sometimes it's better to quickly and plainly state information and move on, such as a little earlier in the scene, when the other hat shop girls have spotted Howl's castle:

"Look, it's Howl's castle!"

"I've never seen it so close!"

“Do you think Howl will go into town?”

“He’s gone!”

“No, he’s just hiding in the fog from those planes.”

“Did you hear what happened to that girl, Martha, in South Haven? They say Howl has torn her heart out.”

“Now I’m too scared to go out!”

“Don’t worry. He only preys on pretty girls.”

This tells us some stuff directly: Who owns the castle we see in the first few seconds, that he's hiding from soldiers, that he has a reputation for preying on beautiful girls. We can infer also that he's a bit of a coward, he stays away from civilization, and that his reputation for cruelty has spread over multiple regions.

This happens so quickly, and it's couched in enough character between the teasing and the gossip, that it doesn't stand out as capital-t-Telling. That's exactly what expository dialogue should do. "Showing" us all that information would take a lot of screen time that can be saved in ten seconds of dialogue.

It's also not just about saving time; it's setting up an image that Howl initially fulfills when he helps Sophie escape the soldiers... only to be punctured when she actually goes to his castle and sees the real Howl. Telling is good for setting expectations that you know will be subverted later.

So yeah, tl;dr: If you're tied up in knots about "am I showing?? am I telling??" just ask yourself how you'd convey the same information in a movie or graphic novel, without access to interior monologue, and evaluate if that'd be better. Most of the time the answer is yes, but not always!

[rpmemes-galore]

Lana Del Rey : Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd album ... sentence starters

"Don't forget me."

"God, I love you, baby."

"You wanted me sadder."

"It's a shame that we die."

"But without them, I'd die."

"Does that sound like love?"

"Love me until I love myself."

"I threw caution to the wind."

"When's it gonna be my turn?"

"Come on, baby, you can thrive."

"Open me up, tell me you like me."

"Do you really think I give a damn."

"I can never stop, wanna have fun."

"Run away like your head is on fire."

"You've been acting pretty restless."

"So you say there's a chance for us."

"It's a shame and I'm crying right now."

"I wrote you a note, but I didn't send it."

"You give me this and I got you, honey."

"So many mountains too high to climb."

"I've got things to do, like nothing at all."

"But, sometimes, it's just not your time."

"I know, I know, I know that you hate me."

"Not that smart, but I've got things to say."

"If you want someone, then just call me up."

"Do you contemplate where we came from?"

"I haven't done a cartwheel since I was nine."

"I won't testify, I already fucked up my story."

"I've got magic in my hand, stars in my eyes."

"I don't know if it was God, but it felt like God."

"I haven't seen my mother in a long, long time."

"It's just that I don't trust myself with my heart."

"Baby, I'll bring the coffee if you bring the wine."

"I had to leave. Knew they wouldn't understand."

"Wouldn't that be somethin' to talk about for us?"

"I've discovered my preaching is mostly about me."

"I'm probably running away from the feelings I get."

"What I do after years of just hearing them talking?"

"It's not about having someone to love me anymorе."

"I couldn't be there for the one who was closest to me."

"Lately, I've been thinking about how things used to be."

"There's a certain point the body can't come back from."

"I like how you talk, how you speak, how you look at me."

"Although it seems I've gotten better, I can be violent, too."

"I can't help but feel somewhat like my body marred my soul."

"What kind of mother was she to say I'd end up in institutions?"

"My pastor told me when you leave, all you take is your memory."

"If you wanna go where nobody goes, that's where you'll find me."

"When everyone's star is bright, brighter than you are, it's time to go."

"I know that we've got problems. I plan to address them another day."

"If you want some basic bitch, go to the Beverly Center and find her."

"For me, you are the one… and if I'm not the one for you, don't just say it."

"What the fuck's wrong in your head to send me away, never to come back?"

"This is gonna sound crazy to you, but I'm gonna tell you the absolute truth."

"So if you don't know, don't give up, 'cause you never know what the new day might bring."

"I know they think that it took thousands of people to put me together again like an experiment."

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  AidaRonan! @aidaronan has 29 fics posted to AO3 in the Stranger Things fandom and 27 of them are in the Steddie Fandom.

@dame-zoom-a-lot recommends the following works by AidaRonan:

Cassiopeia, Orion, Bootes

The Prettiest Boy in Hawkins, Indiana

Blood, Sweat, Ambrosia

Rip Me to Pieces and Make Me Whole

Life or Something Like It

"She writes incredible monsterfucking fics with such creative designs. At least, that's how I first got into her works. But it's really the amount of love all her characters feel for each other that's kept me in a vice grip. All her characters are beautifully fleshed out, sometimes so accurately and deeply that it's hard to re-read. It's that intense." -- @dame-zoom-a-lot

Below the cut, AidaRonan answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

That’s a great question. As with a lot of things I watch or read, some of it was just that lightbulb moment of “Huh. These two want to kiss.” I know the “don't ya, Big Boy?” moment was big for a lot of us including me. Another huge thing was just Eddie. I’d always enjoyed Steve when I was a more casual watcher of the show, but Eddie. I’m in the wrong generation to have been an 80s metalhead, but I was an 00s Scene Kid (with undiagnosed ADHD), and a lot of who Eddie is and how he interacts with the world around him are translatable and relatable to me. So when he died on the show, it felt kind of personal. I actually wrote Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites thinking I’d do just one fix-it for his death, and then that would be it and I’d go back to writing in other fandoms. Then I got the idea for Anywhere, Anytime in the middle of working on that, and I really started to dial into who these two were to me and how they might slot together. I also just had so much fun writing their banter that I knew I was a goner.  At the risk of getting too vulnerable, I have a tendency to latch onto characters who allow me to explore something about myself. With these two, I got two characters with attributes I feel deeply connected with. I’m now running experiments on them in the lab to learn more about me while also just generally exploring who they are in different Situations. And I’m giving them a thousand happy endings to remind myself that I deserve happiness too.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I do love a good enemies-to-lovers or rivals-to-lovers. Which is probably also why these two appeal. There’s nothing like a slow, simmering burn either.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Probably angst with a happy ending or angst with a hopeful ending. I love breaking things and then mending them. Porn with plot is also clearly up there for me since I seem to struggle writing it without.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

It’s more pre-Steddie but @greatunironic has this amazing fic called all the missing girls are hanging out with us. Of course Grey is one of the steddie greats, and nearly everyone at least knows most remarkable thing exists even if they haven’t read it. But all the missing girls is a love letter to the “gone too soon” women of the show, and the vibes are impeccable. 

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I don’t think I’ve done a second chance romance yet for Steddie, and I do think there’s some juicy potential for them with that one.

What is your writing process like?

Sometimes it feels like I don’t really have one because it’s kind of chaotic, but uh… For starters, I use Scrivener and keep pretty much any WIP I have open in the same project file in the hopes I don’t forget things. I fiddle with different ideas until they either become full-fledged fics or they don’t. Sometimes I toggle between WIPs to let things marinate.  As for the process on each individual fic. I write them. I edit a little as I go. Then when I’m finished, everything gets at least two passes of editing. First pass of editing is to make sure everything makes sense, to try (TRY) to cut some extraneous shit, to catch any spots that I don’t really like how they sound, etc. I’m usually a “no beta, we die like…” on fanfic because I hate asking anyone for anything ever and should really get better at doing that. But if it’s a bang fic or something special, it might get passed to a beta after this.  For my final edit, I also have text-to-speech read my work back to me so I can hear how it sounds. Having it read back also increases the chances I’ll catch things like omitted/double words. 

Do you have any writing quirks?

Oh God, probably. I mean my complete inability to write PWP most of the time stands out. Style quirks are harder for me to notice in my own writing. Maybe that I love a good simile. Or that I love an interrupted moment in dialogue or to have a character trailing off when they speak. 

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I usually yeet things into the void the moment I think they’re done. If I have somehow managed to write a whole chaptered fic in advance, I will do a posting schedule for that.

Which fic are you most proud of?

For Steddie so far, Cut and Changed and Rearranged hands down. I put a lot of me into that one, and I have a lot of feelings about it. I’m also really proud of my Buckingham fic Where the Sunflowers Grow. 

How did you get the idea for Life or Something Like It?

I think we all have favorite stories in this world, ones that we pretty much always imagine into an AU every time we’re into a new ship. San Junipero is one of those for me. I remember crying my eyes out the first time I saw it, and I’ve seen it many times since. So it was less a spontaneous idea and more a culmination of how I might translate Steve and Eddie through a lens I often look through.

When writing Rip Me to Pieces and Make Me Whole, what was something you didn’t expect?

I think I always try to write PWP, and I always end up doing too much. Which is to say that I didn’t expect this fic to also explore Eddie trying to learn to communicate his needs within a relationship. And, hey! succeeding! But I think it might very likely be true that this is Eddie’s first real relationship. And we have a solid reason to believe this would only be Steve’s second. So while I am a hopeless romantic and a certified happy ending enjoyer 999/1000 times, I do think they’re going to have to learn a lot from each other and be willing to put in some work.  So yeah, sitting down to write this and realizing as it went that it was going to involve that communication aspect was interesting.

What inspired Blood, Sweat, Ambrosia?

I have slept many times since I wrote that one, but it was sort of that concept of “came back different.” And then the inherent eroticism of “could kill me but wants to fuck me instead.” 

What was your favorite part to write from The Prettiest Boy in Hawkins, Indiana?

It has to be when Eddie and Steve first see each other again and Eddie is fully being the most dramatically horny vampire to ever visit Indiana. Just “this creature was a theatre kid in another life” amped and vamped. Truly a “what if that guy who made speeches on the cafeteria table had even less impulse control?” moment.

How do/did you feel writing The Prettiest Boy in Hawkins, Indiana?

A level of unhinged joy for which “giddy” is not a strong enough word. 

What was the most difficult part of writing Cassiopeia, Orion, Bootes?

New Orleans is a really special city. I’ve only been there twice, but there’s something about it that stays with you. If you let it, it will romance you and make you feel like you’re being courted by something old and unknown. There’s a reason I came off my 2nd visit there and wrote two different fics in that setting. Then there’s bayous as an environment. If you’ve never been to a bayou at night or even at dusk, there’s a vibe there like all sorts of things might be lurking just beneath the murky surface.  So basically trying to translate all of that even for people who have maybe never been to either, to imbue the fic with those atmospheric feelings. I think they were really important to get right to make this fic hit, to have that eerie-meets-Something-More feeling coming through especially in the beginning. Otherwise you’ve just got Steve fucking Gator!Eddie, which like, good for them! But it wouldn’t be as impactful.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

Steve having a full romance novel moment going to Eddie in the rain in Cut and Changed and Rearranged.  And of course, from The Prettiest Boy in Hawkins, Indiana: “Me? I’m the town freak, Steve Harrington. Was then, most definitely am now.” Eddie’s eyes go wide and wild. “Because me? Eddie Munson? Well, I’m a certified bloodsucking, cocksucking creature of the night.”

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I’ve resumed work on my postponed Steddie Big Bang fic from last year with Ori (@oriarts / @stevespookington) and welcome cheerleading. This one is deeply personal and features Steve and Eddie in their early 40s meeting while attempting to hike the Appalachian Trail. Slow burn, lots of hiker/trail lore, and Ori has some really cool stuff cooking for the art. 

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

I see a lot of people talk about being afraid to create the things they want to create because they’re worried that they’re too weird. I just want to say that I had those same fears for a long time, and then I finally got past them for the most part, and now I feel like I’m having more fun than ever. I’ve also learned that I’m a lot less weird than I thought I was. Life is short and can be so much shorter than we expect. Give yourself over to unbridled creativity. Create fearlessly. And go ahead and be a little freak about it while you’re at it. xoxo

Thank you to our author, @aidaronan, and our nominator, @dame-zoom-a-lot! See more of AidaRonan's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[pleasantspark]

The Critical Community Callout Post

Fuck it, I am done gonna release and tell you who I am vaguing about. Let's start by saying please do NOT send any hate to anyone, I am simply gonna make this clear.

This community cannot handle one week without having a singular issue at all, either it's Cherry, RaySquid or Chai it's some people who cannot handle the block/mute feature and go straight to making a hitpeice.

ChaiFootsteps Derangement Syndrome

There's been countless callout posts from people, and it's ALWAYS leads back to Chai as if HE's the issue, there's been misinformation being spread and most of it you're getting from is you guessed it Dani and the Hazbin Stan Community.

They find a way to link anything shitty as it being Chai's fault. Have we really went too far in hubris? Look, I hate proshippers but there's been misinformation done OVER AND OVER to the point people who accused Chai did NOT ever FUCKING update it, when they are made aware instead they ignore people.

This is prime example of not listening at all lmfaooo.

Let me tell you something Chai isn't the boogeyman you all think he is, he's NOT involved in ANYTHING that ANYONE does, people just have borderline issues and they project these issues onto others. For clarity on this, here's what Chai said.

So even when he EXPLAINS you properly didn't acknowledge it? Yeah I find it hard to believe.

This is proof when you cry for "CHAI PLEASE ADDRESS THIS!!111!!" you finally get it and it's "NOT ENOUGGGGH!" NEVER CHANGE CRITICAL COMMUNITY THIS MILK IS DELICIOUS.

My Bridge Incident

Alright here we go, about yesterday. I receieved varying asks about the Limus situation.

I also suppose it's this.

But context clues, Retard means STUPID, are we forgetting it means stupid? I mean harsh yes, but that's how I am.

The issue was, and I quote, I said a offensive word.

Oh geez. Let's see what it means.

It's considered offensive now because people find it offensive 10 years ago we didn't.

Usually it's used for people with autism you KNOW the MENTAL ILLNESS I HAVE? Lol. LMAO EVEN.

Everyone whose a seasoned OrionBug OG knows I had an abusive stepdad, he used that word to insult me ALOT, I use the word in my vernacular to reclaim it. In order to actually feel better about myself. Empowering moment, to take back control.

But for some reason all is ignored when people find it offensive on behalf of others, and it's all there is to it.

Critical Bug's (totally hit)hitpeice on me.

Y'all don't send hate bruv bc nah this isn't what we're doing, so for starters this person, who was one of my mutuals decided to make a post crying about what I said to them after instead of taking it to DMs like a normal person did it on Anon.

Now, listen. If you have an issue, I can open up a discussion in the DMs or my server (Link below) but this person did not, they instead made a post meant to Slander and diss me. I know it was directed at me, because this the post lol.

Yes, they are complaining about someone who is also having the same problems as them using it.

Before you wonder, "how do you know is it them saying it towards you?"

I simply have a right to say this, and like I said before I am literally within my rights to say it, oh whats this there's comments too?

BAWWWING COMMENTS.

Using disability to say a slur is not nice

>this community engages in using queer which is also a slur.

Funny oh whose is this on top? Oh it's our good friend Quackerzzz the person behind CharlieCritques and the ONE person who had an issue with my Viv Neo Nazi Callout.

I'm certain they were this comment.

Because this community has issues with parsing text the hate I got for allegations that are NOT solid proof I had to turn off reblogs, and I will be turning off replies for mutuals. And Anon asks.

Now, let's see what else we have here.

Oh.

Oh My Fuck.

ImpperfectCritique's Obsession with Chai.

There's been issues with people a-logging the hell out of Chai and the biggest besides RaySquid is ImpperfectCritique's while they make good fanart they have actively made their content digging and ragging on Chai who btb had enough time to call out Chai but didn't have enough time to apparently tell someone Chai is going by he'/him. Yeah, when I called out the issue beforehand they claimed they didn't know but considering you called them out and took the time to actively call out Chai and presumably research into Chai's history.

Yeah don't buy it.

If this is in reference to me, then I don't really know what to say, I discourage people doing these, I use my own reclaimed slurs to empower myself as a being.

It's the R Slur that's got people crying not the fact I said Nigga a slur I can say, goes to show they are afraid to say "erm don't say that," yea advocating for less slur usage because retard affects my sensibilities and I must have a space dedicated to my 1394232043290342 problems to a show and fanbase who ARE NOTHING LIKE ME GUISE.

Striking Similarities to the VivziePop Fandom.

Okay, so I'm gonna be blunt and honest, you guys are nothing better then Dani and the others. You dedicate your time and effort to crying about slur usage and doing borderline coordinated attacks over something that easily is solved by DMs, I made this to call everyone out because my boundaries were VIOLATED.

People disrespected my boundaries, I take it you want infighting.

"No, no we don't want--"

Bull.

shit.

You were given SEVERAL times and CHANCES to fucking solve this.

Also someone used the r slur, Impperfect where's the complaint and callout to that person?

I asked people to handle things in DMs, they did not, so I take it you want infighting.

Here's your infighting doordashed to your doorstep, free of charge, you disrupt my evening I disrupt the house of cards in this fragile little community. I'm done with society, I'm done pretending everyone in the community are innocent little beans with no problems.

You're all just as bad as Viv's Stan's if not worse. You treat this as some sort of joke, and instead of talking it out you go to make a hit piece, my life has been threatened, I've been told to end myself. I took a stand for MOST of you in this community but it goes to show that even if you stand for others, they won't stand for you.

The Final Verdict

Status of the community: Reached LolCow Status.

I notice some of you all react so badly, some of you all react so horrendously to shit Viv does, either it being tame or downright stupid, I hate the woman too, but some of you go way too far.

And when you can't find a reason to hate, you direct that hate to others in the community you are in. Not just that Chai has to be dragged in EVERY drama as if he's the puppet master. He's NOT, I have my own means my own opinions, Chai isn't a mastermind (not the Helluva Boss Episode.) believe it or NOT he doesn't know shit like this happens.

I am tired of seeing this community act like childish fools, and aim to prove and one up another because they wanna play the "I CARE ABOUT EVERYONE except this person lol." Olympics, if I am judged by my words that's shallow.

That's deeply disgusting and borderline distressing you judge based on vernacular rather than the terms and conditions of who a person is.

You are all people who do NOT actually understand the issue first and foremost, and I am done entertaining it. I do not stand the Critical Community because I own a different part of it.

People, it's not the end of the world because I a mentally sufficient retard with low IQ said so meanie words, you can utilize the red button not the button with the pencil in it.

This community is now overran by LARPING Viv Stan's and I want nothing to do with this anymore, word of advice. Any remaining people with actual braincells left? Leave. This community preaches about acceptance and understanding but when I someone within their rights are allowed to practice freedom of speech to call a drama or object the r slur it's seen as if I killed an infant.

Hypocritical Hotel Critic Community.

(replies restricted and anon asks off due to harassment from people. Congrats and have a good day everyone.)

[underesources]

DISCO ELYSIUM SENTENCE STARTERS.

various starters taken from day two of disco elysium. trigger warnings for cursing and sexual content. feel free to change things as needed.

hey, you promised you'd only ask about one cryptid.

ah, fuck it, let's have more cryptids.

no, i don't hear the __ - and neither do you.

this makes me feel like i should pick up smoking again.

im gonna FUCK you for the rest of my LIFE, understand?

don't be fooled - desire always plays a role.

we do not want to get caught in that.

i need someone to give me a lowdown on this… reality we're in.

i'm a disco holdover myself.

what is a preposterously expensive education for if not sharing?

would you say it's a bunch of apes dukin it out?

why of course - we're talking duke out central.

I have to say - this is not disco.

He’s a real character. A real piece of work, that boy is.

you need to cool the fuck down, CHILL.

you guys are basically door opening machines.

a simple thing. absolutely nothing shady about it.

honestly, I’m just relieved you didn’t get a hernia - a man at your age… daba-doop-doop-dead.

there's a reason why everyone's tried to forget any of it ever happened.

you gotta get in on those vortices, my man.

you sucked on a gun? good. very normal.

can’t tell a dick that big what to do.

this is what happens when you take the law into your own hands.

no one’s fucking you, you stupid fuck.

you’re having a stomach truth.

the funk soul brother at the back of his head has gone dark.

fuck your shit back to normal!

he speaks the truth, my liege.

[vendetta-if]

Please don’t take this the wrong way, because I still think you’re writing is incredible and I look forward to every update, but am I the only one who finds Takeshi incredibly weird? Like he’s got a wife and 3 kids and yet he’s still pining over my dad who’s been dead for years now. It’s time to move on dude, come on.

If he was younger and single then I’d understand, but the way it comes off, to me at least, is pretty emotionally unfaithful. It reads like Takeshi views Viktor as “the one who got away” which is kind of a shitty attitude to have when you’re married with kids. We haven’t even met Rins mom yet and I already feel bad for her lol, this whole situation is uncomfortable.

Anyways, sorry for my rambling and if you got offended I really do apologize, I wasn’t trying to be mean. Good luck on your future writing!

I appreciate you being polite when writing this and don’t worry, I’m not offended 😁 I have talked a little bit more about him and his feelings for Viktor and about his marriage with Azami in other asks, but I realize that some of them, I answered like in the early days of this blog being up (boy, time sure does fly because it feels like yesterday to me 😭) and not everyone will have read all of the related asks.

So, everything is a lil bit more complicated for Takashi than what it might seem like on the surface, and of course, I can’t really put all of this history and backstory in the main story because it’s not focused on Takashi, or Rin, or the Aikawa, and thus, I understand why some people end up seeing Takashi in a worse light. This is, of course, not to say that he is perfect. I feel like no one in my story is perfect, even Viktor himself, and I like to keep it that way. But I hope my long-winded explanation in this post will help you get a clearer picture on Takashi and his complicated love life 😭.

And right now in the story, I’ll say that he has actually moved on from Viktor. Sure he still remembers and mourns him around the anniversary of his death, and talking about Viktor (and Yvette) is still a sore spot for him, but as they say, you don’t really forget your first love. Also, he has fixed his relationship with Azami (thus their decision to have the twins) by the time of the main story and they’re at their best right now and I’ll explain more in details below the cut.

I’ll put it under the cut because it’s going to be a long one as I try to summarize Takashi’s and Azami’s history together and some additional lore stuff for those who are interested.

For starter, his marriage to Azami was an arranged one that both of them didn’t really have any say in it and it doesn’t help that both of them didn’t even have time to properly get to know each other by the time they got married. They were also pretty young (around early to mid 20s perhaps? I don’t have my notes open right now).

It was a… politically strategic wedding that Takashi’s father and Azami’s maternal grandfather arranged.

And additional info since I don’t think I have mentioned this anywhere actually, but Azami’s maternal side of family is a Yakuza clan/family back in Japan and by establishing some kind of family relationship with the Aikawas—who focuses their businesses in the US—they hope to keep the door open for possibilities of expanding their own business abroad in the US through the Aikawas. They haven’t really done that, but it’s nice to already have and secure the connection. And vice versa for the Aikawas if they wanna do some business in Japan.

It doesn’t help that Viktor was literally Takashi’s first love and that they’ve known each other since they were kids. So, by the time of his marriage, Takashi didn’t really have enough time to kind of, let go or grow out of his feelings for his first love and he was basically getting married to a stranger.

But to think that this means that he automatically becomes an emotionally distant husband and father is wrong. He spent time talking and hanging out with Azami (mostly initiating them first because Azami is the more introverted and reserved one in their relationship), trying to build a relationship—that should’ve been built naturally in normal marriages—with his wife. It did end up being more like a platonic relationship at first than a romantic one, but still, Azami appreciated that.

He’s also a good, caring, and warm dad for Rin and he did take care of Rin as much as Azami did. I’ve said this before in another ask, but when she got married to what is basically a stranger, Azami expected the worse and Takashi was a very pleasant surprise for her.

I think along the way, Azami fell in love with him for real first, but the fact that Takashi still saw her more of a platonic partner and still had romantic feelings for Viktor at the time… It did put a strain on their marriage.

But both of them didn’t really give up on their marriage and even though it took years, they slowly work on their relationship. It was not an instant progress but over time, Takashi ends up falling in love with Azami as well and that’s also the reason why they had the twins like more than a decade after they had Rin (The twins are still very young in the story right now).

Rin was born because of both of their families’ pressure and expectation, but having the twins is the decision that Takashi and Azami made themselves out of love.

While his feelings for Viktor is still there somewhere in the background, it’s waay weaker and fainter than when he was younger. Right now in the story, I would say he has moved on, although he still remembers his first love occasionally, especially around the time of his death. After all, they say that you can’t really forget your first love.

But yeah, in the story currently, his relationship with his wife is at its best and he’s living happily with his family.

And while a part of his motivation to get Rin to marry MC is in part to kind of fulfilling an impossible dream of his, it is also just for… practical reasons. The fact is that the Aikawas have a little bit more to gain by tying the Morozovs in an alliance based on blood ties than the Morozovs do. The Morozovs have the stronger manpower and raw force/strength and nowadays, they have decent connections too.

I mentioned this before in the past ask about the two families’ history, but their alliance started out because the Aikawas were having a pretty rough time protecting their turf from the other criminal groups and families back in New York. They mostly have power by accumulating and brokering information and connections, but they’re a bit lacking in like raw force and power, and that’s where Grandpa Morozov saw the opportunity for alliance and went to talk with Takashi’s father. And the rest we know how it plays out.

So, yeah… I think that’s all I have to say in this post and I’ll definitely be referring to this post again if I ever get similar asks. I don’t know whether it helps you understand Takashi a little bit more or not, but I do hope it’s not as black and white as it once was 😅