#school of rock you are constantly reminding me on how you are such a great movie

[dystychiphxbia]

☆ - it has always been you | haitani rindou

me, writing for something other than blue lock? wow!

rindou is shy with women, idc what you think

wc: 3k, not proofread, fem!reader

You've been friends with the infamous Haitani brothers for as long as you can remember.

At this point, you weren't sure how you guys met. You were the same age as Ran, so chances were you met in kindergarten. Maybe you just saw them one day, and decided that they would be your friends. You thought that it really didn't matter anymore at this point.

You were a ''good girl'', like your parents always called you. Kind-hearted, a model student, always helping out those in need. Even if Ran and Rindou did all kinds of things you didn't even want to know about, you weren't influenced. Despite considering them your best friends, you made sure to keep a certain level of distance. And they respected that, even though they were always so happy to tell you about how their fights went.

When your best friends landed themselves in juvie, you chewed them out for it. You were disappointed, to say the least. But you saw that something in them had changed. There was something foreign, that you had to stay away from.

Living in Roppongi, you constantly heard stories of the gangs Ran and Rindou lead, and the crimes they did. People would call them charismatic, but you just thought they were stupid. You just couldn't wrap your head around it. What was so great about that kind of life?

When the three of you were together, you saw a side of them not many people got to see. They were brothers, so they were constantly at each other's throats for whatever reason, but then minutes later they would be laughing at something stupid. 

For the most part, they were gentle with you. You knew that you are important to them, they cared about you just as much as you did about them. But more often than not, they would gang up together to make fun of you whenever you made a small mistake, or said something silly. Even if it annoyed you, it just showed how comfortable they were with you.

Countless times you would hear rocks thrown at your window at unholy hours. There were always two possibilities; One, they wanted to take you along on whatever silly idea they had. Two, they had been in a fight and wanted you to patch them up. You were glad to do that, of course, but every time you made sure to scold them. They would apologize, but you knew they didn't truly mean it. 

Your parents disliked the infamous duo. They always told you to stay away from them, and that they were a bad influence. Sure, they weren't wrong, but you always reminded them of how well you did in school, and they left it at that. Sometimes the two would visit and actually come in through the front door instead of the window. They would make sure to be polite with your parents, even if they already knew that their image couldn't be saved.

''He wouldn't speak, so I broke his fingers one by one-'' ''Jesus, Rindou, I don't want to hear the rest. You are too sadistic.'' You complained to the blonde who was sitting in front of your bed. You were laying on your stomach on your bed, facing him, while Ran had taken up the rest of your bed, already dozing off. He even claimed your pillow and blanket.

Rindou's grin dropped at your words, and he muttered a small 'sorry'. ''You just go a bit overboard sometimes, you aren't a yakuza.'' You gave him a reassuring smile. Before you got to continue, you felt Ran move around next to you, and you turned to look at him. ''Slept well, sleeping beauty?'' You smirked at him, and he gave you a quick glare. ''Would've slept well if you two didn't blabber so much. My bed may be the best, but yours is definitely number two.'' His arm lazily snaked around you, and he pulled you closer to him. 

Physical touch with either of them was something you were used to, but Ran was always the one to be more touchy. Rindou would sometimes flinch from your hands touching, while his older brother had no problems hugging or cuddling with you. Right now he was holding you so tightly that you could barely breathe.

''rin...dou help.'' You desperately extended your arm towards the blonde, who just shrugged. Feeling heartbroken and defeated, you accepted your fate. Unbeknownst to you, Ran was currently smirking at his brother, who tried to avert his gaze. The two could speak sentences without saying a word, so there was a lot of things you didn't know.

Like the fact that Rindou has had a crush on you for a long time. 

And Ran knew about it.

Ran would always push his brother towards confessing, but Rindou was just too shy. Part of him didn't want to drag you more into the messes he got himself in. In addition to that, he was greatly afraid of you rejecting him. Would you even look at him the same after? Would he ruin the comfortable friendship you had with the two of them?

When Rindou wouldn't make a move, Ran took matters into his own hands. He would try to make his brother jealous. That was the only way, he thought.

Ran would get you flowers for no reason, buy you your favorite snacks, and be extra touchy with you. Of course he didn't do any of that just because he felt like he had to for his brother's sake. He would never tell his brother this, but there was a part of him that wanted to be the one by your side. However when his younger brother came to him one evening asking for advice, he had decided to push those feelings away.

But Rindou, he did see the genuineness in his brother's actions. And in his eyes, he saw how you would smile so brightly at his brother, your eyes always lighting up. He wondered if he ever even stood a chance.

Could you really love a hoodlum like him?

''Ouch!'' Rindou was shaken from his thoughts by your voice. You were currently pushing Ran away from you, and he was full on laughing. ''Did you see that, Rindou? He bit me!'' You exclaimed while Ran continued to laugh. Rindou gave his brother a glare and finally got up. He took a hold of your arm, pushing his brother lightly while pulling you towards himself. Your back leaned against him with his hands being on your shoulder, while you glared at Ran.

''You monster.'' You pouted at him. ''Bet you are into that.'' The older brother stopped laughing to wink at you. ''Perv.'' Rindou spoke up. His hand pushed your hair out of the way and he looked at the mark that his brother had put on you. Was he officially claiming you as his?

The rest of that day went rather peacefully, with you clinging into Rindou while sending glares to Ran. The whole time Ran had a huge shit-eating grin on his face, which pissed you off even more. So in the end, you just completely ignored the older brother, and just focused on Rindou.

''Rindou. Let's go home, I'm tired.'' You eventually heard Ran complain. That guy had taken a total of three naps throughout their visit, and he was still tired? Rindou sighed, but got up from the spot he was sitting in, ''Fine.'' Feeling a bit disheartened at their quick decision to leave, you still followed them downstairs. Your father sent you a glare from the living room, pointing at the clock that said 10 pm. Not even that late, considering it was summer vacation.

You closed to door behind you, giving the duo in front of you a small smile. ''Come visit again whenever you want.'' You told them. ''Next time we are visiting through the window, your father always gets so angry when we come by.'' Ran chuckled. ''Just ignore him.'' You answered, quickly stepping in to give him a hug. That's something you had been doing since you were children. Eventually Rindou had stopped accepting your hugs, and you had stopped offering them. This time, though, something told you to open up your arms at him. For some reason, he accepted.

That hug felt different, in a way. It didn't last long, but you felt like it had more meaning to it than just a simple 'goodbye'. 

Rindou quickly pulled away, and with one quick glance at his brother, he started walking away. Ran gave you a wave, before following his younger brother. You watched them walk away, your heart beating a bit faster than usual.

At the same time, Rindou was glaring at his brother, more than usual. ''What?'' Ran smirked at him. ''You got a hug out of it, you always complain about how she no longer even tries to give you one.'' ''No need to bite her, though.'' ''You didn't care when she was basically being suffocated. That probably broke her heart.'' Ran held his hand over his heart. ''You are so dramatic.'' Rindou sighed, rolling his eyes. Ran answered with a laugh.

''But seriously, Rindou.'' Ran spoke up again, his tone now serious. ''You need to make a move. She won't know about your feelings if you don't tell her.'' ''You sound so serious, as if you have any more experience than me.'' Rindou answered with a sarcastic tone. ''Maybe not with serious relationships, but at least I get laid more often.'' 

Rindou sighed in frustration. 

The next day, you decided to go out. Just to have some time for yourself. Maybe to possibly run into a wild Ran or Rindou.

Instead, you ran into something you have been trying to avoid. 

''Is this really her? The little missy seen with the Haitani brothers?''

You were surrounded by maybe 7 guys, who were whispering to each other. It wasn't your first time. Rumors spread fast, and at least everyone in Roppongi knew that you were friends with the brothers. It attracted some unwanted attention. There were occasions where you would get harassed by complete strangers. They usually wanted to use you against the Haitanis, but there was a thing they didn't know.

You knew how to fight.

Of course Ran and Rindou taught you some things. Ways to get out of situations like these. Usually, you would try to talk yourself out of them. Rarely it worked. You wanted to call yourself a pacifist, but these idiots around you made it so difficult.

''Hey. What are you to the Haitanis?'' A man spoke up, who you assumed to be the leader. He was nothing compared to Ran and Rindou, you thought. A classic musclehead with no charisma.

''What's it to you? You gonna pay me for the information?'' You asked sarcastically, eyeing the men around you. You knew you couldn't win against all 7 of them, you weren't that strong. You also noticed that some of them had weapons, such as pipes, and you knew there was a chance that at least one of them carried a knife. You had a knife as well, but you only used that in extreme situations.

''Did ya hear that? The bitch can speak.''

Your eyes narrowed. More often than not you would piss off the person bothering you, and would get called a bitch, or a whore. It's like none of these men knew how to talk to women.

''Have some fucking respect.'' You spat, now walking towards him. ''I don't care what kind of beef you have with Ran and Rindou, but it has nothing to do with me.'' Before you could even realize what was happening, the man's fist made contact with your cheek. The force made you fumble, but you stayed up.

''How about you have some respect, huh?! Do you even know who I am?!'' ''Honestly? No. And I couldn't care less.''

You had one thing that always worked in your favor. The element of surprise.

You wasted no time and kicked him in the stomach. He winced in pain, doubling over from the impact. With everyone else now surprised and caught off guard, you bolted.

They didn't follow you for long, or maybe it's better to say that you were just too fast. Slowly calming down from the adrenaline rush, you spotted a familiar park. You used to play there with Ran and Rindou as children, and you still occasionally visited it.

And there you saw Rindou, with a bottle in his hand.

Shaking your head lightly, you walked up to him. ''Drinking with the homeless again?'' You asked, placing a hand on your hip. He was in the middle of taking a sip, and your voice startled him, causing him to cough uncontrollably. ''N-not many homeless around here.'' He gazed at the playground filled with children that was some distance away. ''I don't think drinking near children is any better.'' You sat down next to him.

It took him a while, but eventually he looked at you. Quickly putting the bottle on the ground, he used his hand to turn you towards him. ''Who hurt you?'' He asked, eyes glued to the red mark on your cheek.

''Oh this? Some thug, I don't know. Kicked him in the stomach and ran away.'' You shrugged. Rindou's gaze softened. ''Should've kicked him where the sun doesn't shine.'' A small smile made its way to his lips, before his expression turned serious again. ''But for real, (Y/n). What did he look like? I won't let him get away with this.''

''You don't need to do that.'' You smiled softly at him, getting lost in his violet eyes. 

''No, (Y/n). I do. I won't let anyone hurt my- uh, our-, uh our friend.'' He trailed off, mentally face palming at himself. Real smooth, Rindou.

You let out a laugh, making Rindou's face flush out a light shade of pink. He was embarrassed, but there was something about your laugh that made him feel things he couldn't explain. No one else had ever made him feel this way, when he was with you, nothing else mattered. Time didn't pass and he felt so light. There was nothing he could worry about. You were so beautiful, no one else compared. Your laugh was like music to his ears.

''Rin? You are staring.'' You snapped him back to reality.

''Oh, sorry.'' 

''No need to apologize. Stare all you want.''

Rindou was caught off guard, raising his brow in confusion. ''Excuse me?''

''Sorry. That was weird.''

''No need to apologize. Be weird all you want.''

A silence, which was soon followed by laughter.

Moments like this, Rindou wished they could last forever. But they never did. Eventually you would get interrupted by his brother. 

''Hey, Rindou?" "Yeah?" You stayed silent for a while, suddenly feeling nervous. You wondered if you really wanted to go through with this.

You were afraid. Afraid of what he would say, afraid of what would happen after. Afraid of change, and the unknown.

"I...there's someone I like."

Rindou's world came crashing down. This was it. He had lost.

"Y-yeah? Who is it?" His voice was breaking.

You took his hand in yours. "He's someone very close to me...Strong and charismatic..." You studied his calloused hands.

'fuck it's ran.'

"I...like you, Rindou."

"Huh? What?" He blurted out. A bit taken aback, you let his hand go. Rindou looked at you, looking for any hints of sarcasm or deception. He found none.

When he didn't answer, your defences went up. "Y-you don't need to say anything. I don't know why I said that, really. It just...came out. Felt right, I guess...I-" You kept going until Rindou stopped you.

''Wait. I thought you liked Ran.''

''...What?''

''What?''

Your brows furrowed in confusion. ''Why would I like him? He's a great friend sure but I'm not into him that way.''

Rindou blinked once. Twice. His face showed a hint of joy, and then again confusion. "But you are so touchy with him." "Yeah? I've always been touchy. You just stopped accepting my hugs." "...Fair enough."

Still, he couldn't believe that you would actually like him. It was something he had dreamt of, but he had never actually believed it to be true.

"Seriously, Rindou. Just reject me so I can move on." You hung your head low, not wanting to look at him. You thought you knew what was coming.

Instead, you felt Rindou's hand lift your chin, and his lips on yours. Before you could even react, they were already gone. You now looked at him, meeting his violet eyes once again. They were filled with determination.

"(Y/n). I love you."

Your eyes widened in surprise.

Love.

Such a strong word.

You knew Rindou wasn't the type to just throw the word 'love' around. There was meaning to it.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" You asked quietly. "I was...afraid. I didn't want to ruin anything between us."

The exact same thing applied to you. You felt silly for overthinking his actions so much. Each and every time he had rejected your touch, your heart broke. You thought that maybe you did something wrong, maybe you made him angry.

But Rindou is shy.

"Isn't there something that you are supposed to ask me?"

"Do I have to?"

"Of course you do."

Now Rindou took your hand in his. "(Y/n)...will you be my girlfriend?"

You stayed silent for a bit, pretending to think about it.

"...Yes."

"Don't play with me like that, love." Rindou sighed in relief. He put his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer.

You rest your head on his shoulder, now gazing at the playground you had already forgotten about. Was it too early to start thinking about mini Rindous running around?

Rindou felt like he was on cloud nine. You two were silent, but it was a comfortable silence. He still had a lot to learn, a lot to experience. But he was happy to do all that with you by his side.

...

He would probably enjoy the moment way more, if he didn't see his idiot brother hiding in the bushes giving him a thumbs up.

[misti-chan]

❤ Mash and Finn x sweet reader ❤

Wanted to thanks and to say that it was inspired by a talk with @fellow-anime-weeb927 I hope you like it!! And hope it isn't too OOC!

That's my first time writing for Mashle so please bare with me! QQ

But I really needed a break from writing for One Piece but don't worry I'll work on the requests!

It was hard to say that there was nothing between Mash and you. Even the poor Lemon could see it. But you were always so tender and maternal with Mash that he couldn’t help himself but fall for you as you took care of him and reassured him constantly. 

You regularly made him some choux buns as everyone knew that he adored them so much. To everyone's surprise your choux buns were more than delicious and they understood why Mash was never sharing them with anyone but you. 

He was also truly happy to help you make them. Cooking together was one of your little happy moments where there were only the two of you. And also to your surprise he was a fine cook even if the only thing he could do was choux buns. In the end you were feeding him everything you could ever bake and Mash was truly grateful for it.

He never knew he could meet someone as sweet as you and he was happy to have met you and to be alive for this even if some people may say otherwise since he was born without magic.

He knows that he is strong and able to face any enemy, but he also knows that he is entirely soft for you and you only. He can’t help but cling at your side every time he gets the chance. What would he do without you ? You gave him another purpose in his life than just a calm life with his father. He wants you by his side too. And he cannot fathom the idea of the contrary. You are a true sunshine, always bright and helpful and he won’t let anyone take you away. 

He will show you that you can rely on him, that he can be your rock and your confidant, that he can be soft and needy, that he doesn’t just have a strong appearance. He wants you to know that you’re the only one capable of making him appear as the clingy boyfriend.

In the end Mash loves you and would go to great lengths to show you. He’ll make you a thousand choux buns, always ask how you’re doing to be sure that you’re happy by his side.

You were a real sweetheart to Finn and he was grateful for that since he was always getting into bad situations. You were protective of him and always showered him with some kind of love, whatever it was.

When he was getting bullied you were always the first person to come to beat the others and to tell them not to come back again. Finn was adorable and a true treasure that you wouldn’t let hurt.

You constantly were worried about him as he was kind of fragile and easy to impress or pressure. But that was drawn you to him, he was always so empathic and kind. He really impressed you in the way that he never got angry or shoot like Dot. His patience and calm soothe you like a gentle breeze or the sound of the waves in the distance. So it is quite normal for you to protect him to the best of your capacity. He is such a cutie, always asking you if you’re alright or if you need anything that you can’t help but fall in love with him.

Falling in love with Finn is so easy and harmless that you can’t stop yourself. The man is a walking green flag and you were here all for that. He didn’t know in the beginning that you were going to be a big part of his life. All he knew was that you were kind to him and very sweet and all he wanted was to repay you back.

But as things went, the two of you became closer and closer. You always brought him little trinkets and things that reminded you of him. And he couldn’t help but do the same as you. It wasn’t rare for the two of you to share some sweets on a bench talking about life and school.

But for Finn, he knew he loved you the moment you didn’t hesitate to punch someone in the face after he disrespected him and almost harassed him. You were never the violent type but for him you could be, and to know that he was protected by an amazing person as you, made him feel butterflies in his stomach.

He knew from this instant that he wanted to be more than just friends, that he wanted to be part of your life as your lover. And of course it wasn’t hard to see that it was reciprocated.

[teddi-bearly]

Rating Klinger Outfits on Flamboyance Because I’m Bored: Part 1

This is in no way an exhaustive list, nor is it meant to imply any of Klinger’s outfits are not fabulous. Because they are. It’s more of an excuse to talk about Klinger’s outfits and how much I love them. Also I don’t have any fashion training whatsoever, so this is just for fun.

I’m going to do a part 2 because I don’t want this to be giant and it already is pretty big

Anyway

one of the ones I see the most often

Iconic

The pose. The sass. Amazing

Honestly one of his more practical outfits

I love any outfits where Klinger has flowers in his hair argue with the wall

I’d wear that to a spring picnic

6/10 the flowers in the hair give it more points, but overall I think I’d see a woman wearing that at church on Easter Sunday

MORE FLOWER

And the fur coat? The ring? THE FEATHER?

Right this way madam

Stunning

I don’t think I’d wear this though, red may be Klinger’s color but it is sadly not mine

And the pose? He’s such a ham and I love him for it

11/10

Scarlett O’Hara who???

The yellow is lovely

And the parasol?? Incredible

And the gloves? And the hat?

It’s so much it’s so much

The hoop skirt? WHERE DID HE GET A HOOP SKIRT

It’s giving rich southern belle

1000000/10

The tiara is beautiful and so is the dress

Very similar to the first one though, but feels more like evening wear while the other one is church wear

The mink? (I think it’s mink??) Lovely

He looks like a princess who is undercover and trying not to be recognized as the princess but is failing

8/10 gains points because of the fur and tiara

Simple but nice

Looks like the kind of dress I would’ve worn to a middle school dance though I’m sorry

I love it though, and coupled with the army boots and helmet makes it much more unique

Also the low cut?? Ok I see you

7/10 because of the skirt volume

Again, red is such a great color on Klinger

Cute, not crazy but definitely cute

The blouse is my favorite part, it’s so cute

The hat pulls it all together I think

4/10 for flamboyance, the chances of me seeing someone wearing a similar outfit in the wild are decent

Another good spring outfit

The dress is pretty practical, and nice

It kinda reminds me of a hospital gown though

Which is topical

Klinger definitely slays every outfit he’s in, but I’m not actually super big on this one

It’s nice, but it doesn’t stick out to me

5/10, kinda looks like something a great aunt would wear

I just realized this dress is going to return in part 2

But it’s two different outfits technically and I have two different opinions

The fur coat definitely makes this one more flamboyant

Also I’m not gonna lie, that coat looks so comfy and warm like I want it

And the matching hat?? Incredible

His stance is also so powerful

Like ok gorgeous

8/10 solely because of the coat and hat

I know this isn’t a dress, but it’s a Klinger outfit

And you know what? I love it

He rocks dresses AND suits, what an icon

I want that hat

However? Not flamboyant at all

Business man core

1/10, the only reason it’s not a 0 is because the hat makes it a little unique for me

Carmen Miranda!! Yes!!

The sparkles? The red fur trim? THE HOOPS??

I wish we’d gotten more of this outfit it’s so amazing

Definitely not very practical though, especially the (incredible) fruit hat

Take it from someone who had to wear a fruit hat for theater, those things are SO top heavy

Very hard to secure, you constantly feel like it’s going to fall off

So props to Klinger

15/10 it’s so much and I love it

All images are from Pinterest

[svt-rosalie]

hewwoo im not sure if you are taking asks hehe . how does the members take care of young little rosie when she newly debuted ,

. . . ♡ ROSIE ! ? 🪷 HEADCANNONS ★ ﾟ๑

ׁ ׅ ୨ ❪ seventeen! ❫ ୧ ⊹ ࣪

© 2023 , svt-rosalie rosalie masterlist!

author note! decided to just do the hyung line for this ask (sorry) but if you want the maknae line vers. i’ll do that sometime soon, you’ll just have to remind me <3

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ seungcheol

he always, always walked her to school!

cheol was worried about the fact that she would lose her way to school and she would be alone.

so instead he woke up at 5 o’clock every morning with her and walked her hand in hand to the school 6 blocks away.

rosie would blabber away about what she’s looking foward to that day of school whilst seungcheol just smiles

gives her a hug and kiss on the forehead once they get to the gate!

he definitely doesn’t glare at the boys and girls that are giving rosie compliments on her hair, makeup, shoes, ect. that don’t sound very platonic

screams “i love you my rosebud! have a good day. study hard!” when she’s only like 10 feet away, embarrassing her for the whole day!

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ jeonghan

jeonghan’s the one that made sure she is up on time for anything and everything.

rosie sleeps like a rock, so no alarm or noise will wake her up. one time vernon thought she was dead.

jeonghan was the only one that could her up at the time and it was his designated role!

hannie would lay out her school uniform already ironed and steamed. the other boys definitely got jealous of this but what can jeonghan say, rosie is the favorite!

and jeonghan is proud to announce it.

jeonghan would make sure her bag was packed and that all her homework due that day was in the correct folder.

rosie is big on being neat. everything is color coded

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ joshua

shua would keep an eye on her during music shows.

rosie gets distracted easily and would wonder around speaking to other artist or employees and that led to joshua being in charge of her

he wanted to buy one of those like backpack leashes but was told it was stupid so he didn’t

he really wanted to though

joshua also (don’t let anybody know) would sing rosie to sleep

rosie would have a hard time being away from her parents and joshua would lay next to the girl while her head is on his chest and sing/hum different songs

sometimes rosie would teach him classic french songs so he could sing her to sleep with them

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ junhui

cooked and made her lunches every single day. and i mean every single day.

he always made sure she ate

he knew how strenuous her diet was compared to the boys and it just didn’t seem fair

so junnie would always sneak in snacks he knew the managers wouldn’t approve of and made sure she ate them

as well as drank as much water as she needed knowing she would forget some times

rosie is his little baby and he never wanted her to have bad memories to look back on during her debut days, only the good

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ hoshi

hoshi was never helpful when it came to school but always took care of her during practice

rosie tended to overwork herself, she is a big perfectionist!

and hoshi noticed that some nights she would stay past the time needed just constantly working on parts she thought was wrong but hoshi couldn’t see the problem

hoshi would always give her encouraging words and let her know she was doing amazing!

which was enough for rosie.

knowing that hoshi thought she was doing great and that her rhythm fit well with the choreography was enough to stop her overthinking mind

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ wonwoo

wonwoo was still is rosie’s favorite during and before their debut era

reason being is because, wonwoo would help with her homework and i mean help, he would do it all for her

half the reason she passed her korean literacy class was because of wonwoo!

besides that though, wonwoo was very helpful with her school work and always made sure that she took care of her mental and physical health before he pressured her into finishing her homework and then going to tutoring

he also would lie about the fact that he allowed rosie to play games when she was suppose to be asleep

everyone knows but wonwoo will never admit it

୭ৎ ࣪ ׅ woozi

(un)surprisingly enough woozi was rosie’s rock, you could say, during debut

when rosie would get hateful message sent via social media and through the company, woozi always ALWAYS stood up for her

and no matter how busy he was, he would attend all of rosie’s events big or small

instead of helping her with school he would help her with her lyrics that she so badly wanted to write

because in rosie’s words she wants to be just as poetic with her lyrics as jihoon is with his

jihoon liked to think he was rosie’s favorite during this time despite how much he teased her

he always made sure she knew her worth when it came down to it though and taught her to NEVER let somebody else (the haters) define who she has to be

because being seventeen’s rosebud is enough

taglist — @angie-x3 @alixnsuperstxr

click here to join the taglist!

[t1ts-4-scattorcio]

Can you do a "being nat's sister" hc? Like she went with nat to nationals. (Post crash stuff too)

Sister Nat x Reader:

This was long

TW: Abuse + Substance Issues

Both you and Nat were accident babies but especially you. Her parents had settled with Nat but then you were born.

Nat had a hard time warming up to you. She was only around kids at school and was naturally a loner she didn't have that many friends at an early age so a new baby in her space was weird for sure

She liked her personal space and would side-eye you whenever you wanted her attention especially if it was by making a mess. "God you're so gross" she'd comment eyebrows raising in disgust observing you drool all over yourself on the dining room table. (like Nat girly pop shes a baby 😒 babies gonna be icky and loud).

But she saw how badly your parents resented you for taking up more of their time and money it actually was upsetting for her. Nat vowed to be your #1 protector the day your dad first yelled at you for being upset.

It was a bad day, you just couldn't stop crying and no one knew why. "Fuck she won't shut up! The brat's giving me a headache!" slamming his beer on the countertop turning to your mother who was at her wits end rocking you back and forth the entire afternoon. Nat locked herself in her room tuning out whatever was happening outside until she heard something break and your screaming getting worse

she burst into the kitchen and saw your dad get in your flushed face screeching in your highchair and of course, your mom didn't do anything but sob. Nat pushed him away and stood her ground, he gave her one of the worst beatings of her life but it was worth it to keep you safe.

That was the first night she let you sleep in her bed, and let you sleep with her until you were comfortable enough to be alone

Nat took the brunt of the abuse over the years because she didn't want to expose you to how bad your parents could treat you. She'd force you to stay in her room whenever confrontations happened or walk you to the local park and let you play for a while forget about your troubles, she would even teach you a little bit of soccer if you wanted to.

Doesn't want you around alcohol or drugs (she's a hypocrite I know) but she wanted better for you, she wanted you to succeed to be able to leave and make something out of yourself not feel stuck, and have the same shit (untrue) reputation she had.

Which meant she'd be on your ass at parties, "what are you doing?🤨” shoving your solo cup behind you "nothing.. 😀" nat jeered at you as you swayed back and forth sooo out of it. “You smell like vodka hand it over😡” you rolled your eyes and told her she's no fun but she brushed it off.

Absolute garbage at regular school work but is great with helping you make art projects and anything creative. She definitely asked Lottie or Tai to help you with any classes you were failing.

Will back you up and support anything you do, any performances or recitals you have, she will be there in the first row, she will skip practice to watch you play the sport you're in, stay's up late at night just to help you prepare for presentations

any spare money would go to taking care of you and whatever you needed whether that's school supplies or any new clothes. Your mom insisted Nat give you her hand-me-downs but Nat refused, she wanted you to find your own style.

You weren't home when your dad died, your mom was inconsolable and Nat completely shut herself off, you took care of her for a while and never blamed her for what happened to your dad. (something you had to constantly remind her of).

She's grateful you never judged her, just wanting to keep her safe like she did to you.

____

Silly sibling things:

Will kill you if you don't let her sleep in late

Interrogates any person you like or want to be in a relationship with. "I will kill you if you hurt them ☺️” all smiley while your S/O is shitting their pants.

Constantly reminds you to be responsible with your S/O. “Y/N don’t do anything stupid, and don't get pregnant. "GOD NAT I WONT 🤬."

Stealing each other's stuff but not fessing up to it or saying it looks better on your or her, (y'all never mean it).

The rest of the team also were your designated sisters, they would help you when nat couldn't.

ghosts you sometimes, she doesn't mean to she has garbage memory and a sense of "what was I gonna do again? syndrome" (which is why the other girls help you out)

You call her out about liking guys esp Travis "you're a girl kisser, you're all goo goo eyed whenever Lot's is around" cue to her stomping her cigarette out and walking away all huffy.

Lottie strut’s up “y/n why did Nat do that??" "she's in love with you Lots 😏" she looks at you like you grew a third head, "HUH" "nevermind 🙃" clueless gf’s for real.

----

You were her top priority before the crash and especially after it.

Nat had invited you to the trip for support and you were so excited everything was so luxurious. You plopped down next to Nat listening to music with her, dozing off to sleep until you woke up on the floor still attached to your broken seat.

She was terrified when she got out of the plane and couldn't find you, her brain conjuring your death. The worst thing that could happen to you coming true (you being gone would kill her.)

She found you heaving in Lottie's arms, she thanked whatever was listening to her hopes and prayers that you survived.

she never let you go or left your side once for the first few days in the woods, and is the only person that can comfort you when you're about to break down "listen to me everything's going to be ok! You know I'm never wrong."

you'd revert to sleeping with her like when you were a baby, being nervous to ask if you could though "of course you can, you could never annoy me, get in"

She'd ask if you wanted to come to hunt with her whether you could shoot the gun or not she loved your company and liked knowing you're safe.

you both would check in on each other especially when things got really bad (the snackie incident, not finding javi, shauna's traumatic birth).

You'd also back her up when she's calling out Lottie's "Voodoo Bullshit." (even if you believed it👀).

Best 👏🏽Sister 👏🏽Ever

[the-hopeless-haze]

dick has a nightmare and goes to reader and bruce, and just fluff in general

if the ask game is still going

A/N: I am so sorry this took me forever anon. please forgive me. I hope this is everything you wanted from it.

Warnings: none really just mentions of death bc um Dick and Bruce have dead parents so like. just hurt/comfort/fluff though. maybe you'll cry. lowkey a tearjerker but in a good way

Taglist: @pop-rocks-and-skittles @yesshewrites1 @deadflowerd @burninggracesandbridges @reggxe-a @ventila98 @grayce427 @leastlikelytoachieve @that-girl-named-alex @yuki235171 @cluelessnitwhit @thebruemanbatwayne @y-napotat @acatwriteshere

Sleep Pretty Darling, Do Not Cry

You wonder what goes on in that little head.

So much pain, so much loss, so much anxiety. To be fostered by a man that the whole city knew of but knew nothing about, to lose your parents, to watch them die.

Like Bruce.

Perhaps there was no one better in Gotham to take in this child, no one else who could understand his pain like Bruce did. But Bruce was never good at that sort of thing with adults, never mind children. It took a long time, months of you knowing him to get even a semblance of emotion concerning his parents and his past trauma out of him. But you weren’t sure Dick could wait that long.

While Dick understands death is permanent, you aren’t sure it hit him entirely yet. He’s exuberant and talkative, telling you about animals he learned about in science class and what he did at recess. A typical child. But you see him crying sometimes when Bruce lets him watch TV and the kids in the shows go to hug their parents. So much like Bruce, soldiering it all on and never talking about it, acting like it was his fault and his responsibility and his cross to bear at such a young age.

He always shrugs you off when you make a big deal out of it; he’ll let you hug him sometimes but he won’t let you smother him like you want to. On one occasion he was particularly moody and irritable and told you off, saying, “You’re not my mom. You’ll never be my mom. Go away.”

You were inconsolable for a good couple hours and Bruce had to talk you down and remind you of how many times he said some variation of that statement to Alfred and didn’t mean it. It was the worst thing you could possibly say to an adoptive parent, you thought, but maybe he was really saying it an attempt to pawn off the hurt he felt and he didn’t know how much it was hurting you.

It still didn’t feel great.

Tonight, though, you’d had a good night. All four of you had dinner together, three generations with no blood ties. You and Bruce helped Dick with his homework (Bruce with English, you with math) and you helped him get settled for bed, snug in dinosaur pajamas, and you read him some of the Magic Tree House until he fell asleep. Brushing your lips against his forehead, you swallow back tears.

You know this boy doesn’t mean to be rejecting you, and that he doesn’t know how much it hurts you that he’s not opening up. You know he just went through probably one of the most traumatic experiences you can go through at that age. And you know ultimately he’s thankful you and Bruce took him in.

You just wish he would show you that he needs you in a more tangible way, not in that he needs you to make sure he has food on the table and for supervision for his safety, but that he needs you to hug him when he’s sad and wipe away his tears and give him life advice. You want him to need the comfort you’re so willing to provide.

You close his door quietly, and walk down the stairs to meet Bruce in the living room. Sitting on his lap, you let him wrap his arms around you, and you kiss him gently.

“He’s asleep?” Bruce asks you.

“Mm,” you answer.

“I have to go, soon.”

“I know.”

“Please don’t stay up until I get home again. You haven’t been sleeping.”

“Between you and Dick… I’m just constantly worried,” you admit, drawing your bottom lip between your teeth. “It’s okay. We both have been sleeping while he’s at school.”

“On the weekends you’ve been a zombie, recently.”

“I should’ve known an eight year old would wake us up at seven in the morning every day, I suppose.”

“What are you so worried about, anyway? If anything happens… I have you synced to my heart rate here. It’ll wake you up if there’s an issue,” Bruce says, wrapping his fingers around your wrist where the gadget bracelet was.

“Yeah. But if Dick needs me—“

Bruce laughs a little, his flickers of dimples twitching in his cheeks as his blue eyes gleam at you. “That boy would stop at nothing to wake you up if he needed you. You know that, right? You don’t have to worry about us.”

“I just… I don’t like that either. To feel like I’m just here, like I’m not needed,” you say, avoiding Bruce’s questioning gaze.

“What do you mean? Of course I need you here. You’re so good with him. And… I love you. He loves you,” he reassures you, rubbing your back softly.

“He doesn’t—“

“Shh. It’s been a month. I knew Alfred my entire life and I was… I was far from as pleasant as Dick is being now after my parents passed. You could’ve had much worse. I would’ve made you cry every day.”

You roll your eyes at him. “This is supposed to make me feel better?”

“It’s not working?” he asks and you shake your head. “I’m sorry, love. I’m not trying to be dismissive.”

“I know.”

“Help me get ready?”

You nod and laugh when he picks you up and carries you to the bedroom, and you look at him when he sets you down on the bed, his blue eyes twinkling and his lips curving into a smile. Chiseled jawline, strong hands, broad shoulders, sometimes you couldn’t quite believe he’s yours. The man you were going to marry, the man you’re raising a child with, the man you love. You lean forward to kiss him, thread your fingers in his hair and pull him closer to you. “I love you, Bruce.”

“I love you, too. And you’re an amazing mom. I don’t want you to doubt yourself. Okay? I couldn’t have asked for a better woman to bring children up with.”

You don’t say anything because you feel the cloying thickness in your throat and you know you would cry if you tried to speak. Bruce is a man of few words. That is, until he lets you in. What people don’t know is he has a way with words, a way to make you feel valued and appreciated without coming off as insincere. He means every syllable and you can feel it from his mouth to your heart.

Your favorite part of getting Bruce ready has got to be the makeup. Sure, he’s a grown man and he’s perfectly capable of putting it on himself, but you love to paint him black. You could have introduced him to waterproof pomade, but you like the way it streaks from his eyes from the sweat of his nightly antics a little too much to grant him that. Just womanly ulterior motives.

“Keep still. Christ. You act like I’ve never done this before,” you giggle, holding his chin in place after he turned his head to the side.

“I thought I heard something.”

“Probably Alfred.”

“Maybe.”

But then you hear a knock on the bedroom door, one that sounds like it was made from a tiny hand, not Alfred’s.

“Fuck. I have to go change if it’s Dick,” Bruce mutters.

“You have one eye done and you’re still in your regular clothes. Relax,” you whisper. “Dick, honey, is that you?” you call out, walking to the door. “What’s the matter?”

You open it, and sure enough, it is Dick, holding his teddy bear and looking forlornly at the floor, his small cheeks tear-stained. Looking up at you, he sniffles. “I h-had a n-n-nightmare,” he stutters, his breathing staggered. “I d-don’t f-feel good.”

You kneel down and hug him, feel his little fingers on your back and his scrawny arms around your shoulders. “What happened, honey?”

“Y-you and B-Bruce d-d-died. L-like my… m-my p-p-parents. I w-w-watched it.”

Be careful what you wish for, that cliched phrase you never took to heart until now. You had wanted to know you had a place in this boy’s heart, but not like this.

“No, honey. That’s not real. See? I’m still right here. And Bruce is right here too. See, honey? Open your eyes.”

Bruce walks over to the doorway, kneeling down next to you, taking one of Dick’s hands that was clawing into your back into his, squeezing it gently. “I’m right here, too,” he says. “No one else is dying.”

“Y-you don’t know that. You c-could leave me t-t-too,” Dick says.

“Listen, honey,” you say gently. “As long as we have anything to say about it, we’re not going anywhere. We’re alive and we’re here right now and we love you very much.”

“But if my parents d-d-died, you can, too.”

“Your dream didn’t really happen, honey. It was just a dream. Okay?”

“But what if you die? And I’m all alone again? And n-no one loves me?”

“Oh, honey,” you mutter, squeezing him tighter and letting a tear fall down your face. “I’m not going to lie to you because you’re very smart and you’ll know I’m a liar right away, won’t you?“

“Y-yeah. I can always tell when adults lie.”

You smile a little at that. “You know Bruce and I could die. If I told you we couldn’t die you know that would be a lie and you’d be upset with me. But what I can tell you is that we are alive right now and we love you very much. You have a whole family, now, too. You have Alfred and you have my father. If something happened to Bruce and I, they would be able to take you in. You wouldn’t have to be alone again.”

“I don’t want something to happen to you and Bruce.”

“I know, honey.”

“Can’t you promise me?” he asks desperately.

“We can promise to do everything we can,” Bruce says. “But you'd be upset with us if we promised. We can't promise to stay alive. But we can try. That's all anyone can do."

"I don't like that."

"We don't either. But you wouldn't like us to lie to you even more. I was there, Dick. I've been where you are right now. It's not easy. It's going to scare you. It's going to make you not want to get close to anybody ever again. It's going to make you afraid to love. It hurts. I know it hurts. I tried to close myself off from it, pretend like... pretend like I didn't care if Alfred lived or died when really, I was terrified just like you that I'd lose him. We can't take the place of your parents. We can't live forever. But we can love you right now and for as long as we are able."

"I-I guess," Dick says, his voice small. He lets go of you and shuffles over to Bruce's open arms, and you feel cold at the loss of his small body against yours, but the warmth in your heart at seeing Bruce with him makes up for it. Bruce's dark locks fall against Dick's head as he holds him to his chest, and you smile. Finally. He figured out how to say it.

"Do you feel better now?" you ask.

"I think so," Dick says, pulling away from Bruce to look at his face. "Why do you have makeup on?"

"Boys can wear makeup, too," you say.

"Okay. But Bruce only has it on one eye."

"I didn't finish it yet," Bruce says.

"Can I put it on you? Can I wear it too?!"

"Yeah. We can put it on you tomorrow," you laugh. "Do you think we can try to go back to sleep?"

"I don't know," he shrugs. "Can I have hot chocolate before I go back to bed?"

"Of course," you say, ignoring the look Bruce gives you.

"I'm scared the dream will come back," Dick says.

"I can stay with you tonight," you say. "Bruce has to... go to work. So I'll stay in your room with you tonight. Okay?"

"Okay," he says.

You head downstairs with Dick in tow and make a cup of hot chocolate with him on the stove. He's quiet, pensive, his eyes still puffy from crying. You hate that he has to grow up this fast, that you and Bruce couldn't sugarcoat anything. Any other kid comes to you telling you they had a dream their parents died and you'd send them off with some false reassurances. But maybe it was for the best, because for those kids who were told their parents couldn't die and then they did... that disillusionment after the fact must hurt even more than the truth would have.

"Can I have extra marshmallows?" he requests, looking at you with doe eyes.

"Of course," you tell him, unable to deny him anything at this moment.

You sit quietly in the dimly lit kitchen, and listen to Bruce leave; his motorcycle revving through the tunnel underneath you. You wish he was here. But you're not alone at night anymore, either.

"I love you," Dick says after he finishes the hot chocolate. "Maybe one day you will be my mom."

"Oh, honey," you breathe, your heart shattering into a million pieces and coming back together again all in the span of seconds. "I love you. So much. But I don't ever expect to take your mom's place."

"No. But I still need a mom."

"Of course, honey. I love you. Let's go brush your teeth again and go to bed, okay?"

"Okay." You hug him close to you again, feeling his little chest expand and contract as he breathes against you, so alive. Your heart feels so full you think it might burst.

He holds your hand as you walk up the stairs and he doesn't let go until he has to pick up his toothbrush.

No one ever said this would be easy. But it is definitely worth it.

[manofmanymons]

I have concluded, based on an incredibly small sample size, that Ryo x Minoru is not too weird to talk about on tumblr dot com, and that at least one other human being on the face of home, planet earth, not only tolerates but ships it as well.

So I'm gonna be annoying about them for a minute!

I think they're cute as hell! I constantly think about the fact that in non truthful routes, Ryo takes Minoru's teasing to mean that he hates him, but in the truthful route he knows Minoru's antics are his way of cheering him up! + Minoru getting embarrassed about getting called out for it is silly and adorable!

I totally hc that over time they do just have a very specific dynamic with each other that only they understand. Minoru bullies Ryo and Ryo calls him a dick but really that's just their version of "hey how ya doin" "alright"

If Minoru's not messing with him, Ryo will check in and make sure he's okay. If Ryo is ever quiet and doesn't snap back, Minoru will check to see if he's okay.

Except the catch is that literally none of their friends have picked up on this. They all just think "why does Minoru always single out Ryo to pick on" and "Wow Ryo really can't stand Minoru, can he?"

They're genuinely considering talking to those two about their behavior and getting to the bottom of why they hate each other in hopes of getting them to get along better, only for them to rock up to the next friend hangout like "so we're dating now."

Everyone has the most overexaggerated sitcom-esque "WHAT" moment. Except Miu and Kaito who gave up on understanding other human beings so long ago that nothing can surprise them anymore and they're just like "oh cool congrats." Saki is surprised at first but very quickly is like "ohhhh that's why Ryo never shuts up about Minoru." She thought he was just complaining about him a lot but no that idiot had a crush the WHOLE time.

Oh oh oh hc that like on the first day or so of camp, when they first becoming friends, Minoru and Takuma were just talkin about boy stuff, and at some point they got on the topic of like "What's your type?" And Minoru with 0 hesitation was like "definitely a hot girl who's calm and gentle and would want a guy like me to take care of her" while picturing some classic comic book damsel in distress (delusional teen boy moment).

And now finally, FINALLY Takuma can make fun of Minoru for something. Minoru goes too far sharing an embarrassing thing Takuma did at school and Takuma just interrupts him like HEY WANT ME TO TELL YOUR BOYFRIEND WHAT YOU SAID YOUR IDEAL SIGNIFICANT OTHER WOULD BE

And it shuts him right up ksksnf

Minoru is the only person other than Saki that knows that Ryo only actually means "leave me alone" about 20% of the time, and the rest of the time that just means "I'm not feeling great but don't want to/don't know how to talk about it" and will do the OPPOSITE of leaving him alone (coming over to keep him company).

MINORU BEFRIENDING RYO'S DAD BY MAKING DAD JOKES. RYO IS SUFFERING KSJSKDN

Boyfriend who doesn't talk much x boyfriend who won't shut the fuck up beloved dynamic

Once in a rare while Minoru gets a little overwhelming for Ryo to deal with, but he never takes it personally. He knows his bf loves him, he can just only take so much LOUD at a time. He has other friends he can hand out with while Ryo is in recharge mode.

...Minoru taking advantage of no longer being a single pringle to torment his friends with the "no bitches" meme. The first time Ryo is the one to send it in chat, everyone is like "NOOOO THE MINORUFICATION OF OUR BELOVED RYO HAS FINALLY HAPPENED, IT'S RYOVER."

Bc that's how youths today talk, I believe. /hj

Ryo...surprisingly sappy. Minoru thinking he'd have to remind him of their anniversary only to show up at his place and immediately have flowers shoved in his face. RIP Saki and Shuuji for being the main victims of Ryo talking about Minoru for an hour. The bastard can pretend to be totally normal about his bf in front of the others, but those two know the truth. He is very strategic about NOT telling Takuma jackshit. Both because he's a respectful little lad and knows that there are some things no one wants to know about their best friend, and because he doesn't trust Takuma not to share any cheesy thing he might say with Minoru.

Minoru, surprisingly, also doesn't tell Takuma too much in the way of his love life. School life, home life, fandom life, sure. Love life? Absolutely not. Too much of a "that's not the kinda thing guys talk about" guy.

Famous last sentiments before Takuma becomes an annoying guy who won't shut up about his own bf 24/7 but that's beside the point

I think neither of them would be big on pda. They both get embarrassed too easy. Even then they're dating Ryo still calls Minoru a jerk. Minoru increases the frequency of which he obnoxiously calls Ryo "senpai." They are both, however, allergic to petnames.

Minoru tried saying "sweetie" once at Takuma's behest, and Ryo made him swear to NEVER do that again.

..despite being too embarrassed to hold his hand or kiss him in public, Minoru WILL make random excuses to touch his bf. Stupid things like "your headband was crooked" or "there was an eyelash on your face."

I don't have a good conclusion to this post, just know that I think about them a lot.

[queen-haq]

Alive - Part 20

Summary: Aidan traced the thin chain around his neck, rubbing the infinity pendant between his fingers. No longer a symbol of their everlasting love, it was something he touched in anger when he thought of Sage. It was the only thing of hers that still remained with him after eight years, the last possession which still connected them together. When he 4did find Sage again, and he would no matter how long it took, he planned to destroy the pendant - and her.

Taking place across two timelines, Alive tells the story of Aidan and Sage, high school sweethearts driven apart by who they are and where they come from. Once enemies then lovers, their relationship runs full circle when they meet again in the present, now prepared to destroy each other.

My Masterlist (contains links to previous parts)

Then...

Sage's first week back in school had her staying late every day to catch up on all the work that was missed during her expulsion. It was hectic, and she went through the motions like clockwork, keeping herself constantly busy. David was worried about her but was smart enough to leave her alone and she was grateful for it. Almost on cue, Cat's loud, flirtatious voice drifted from a few tables down to drag Sage back to reality. "

"Aidan, stop it!" Cat squealed dramatically, laughing.

This was the first time Sage was having lunch in the courtyard since her return, and it was a stark reminder of why she'd avoided the place for so long.

"We don't have to stay here, we can go to the back," David offered.

Watching Aidan and Cat flirt a few feet away was bad enough, but what made it worse was the gnawing dread from waiting for the inevitable to happen. It was only a matter of time before Aidan spilled the intimate details of her relationship with him. Everyone would find out she'd slept with him, all those deeply personal things she'd said in confidence to him, and her entire life would be open to ridicule. "I can't run every time I see them together. I just have to suck it up and deal with it."

"Why the fuck does Aidan keep looking over here?"

She was grateful to have her back turned to them. "Ignore him."

"Not that easy to do when he's glaring at us."

"Do you want to switch seats?"

It was David's turn to send her an irritated glance. "You know, you don't need to pretend everything is fine. We're friends. If you want to cry or scream or bitch about them, I'll listen."

"There's nothing to bitch about. I did something stupid and now I need to move on."

"He fucked you over. You're not the type to take something like that lying down."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't want to fight anymore. It's exhausting."

"How are things at home? I hope you don't have to see them there."

"He's not allowed to come over anymore. And Cat's Cat, just a lot more smug. She loves to remind me how stupid I was about Aidan."

"Want me to kill her for you?"

Mimicking his deadpan tone, Sage shook her head 'no'. "She's not worth going to prison for."

"Just think, we'll be outta here in a few months. No more losers, just lots of hotties to keep us busy."

"Only if I get into college. Don’t exactly have a great record, remember?"

David huffed. "Must you let your crappy reality get in the way of my awesome fantasy?"

Sage chuckled. "Ok, fine." She leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. "We'll be roomies in college, and we'll date really hot twins. Yours will be a-"

"A hockey player. Oh, wait! No, not hockey-"

"He'll play hockey, football, soccer. Whatever you want."

"And guitar. My boo has to know how to play guitar."

"So a future rock star on a sports scholarship?"

"Fuck that!" David's face twisted into a disgusted scowl. "I don't do poor."

Sage laughed.

"And yours? What's he gonna be like?" David prodded.

A sharp bolt of despair cut through her attempt at normalcy, she swallowed the lump in her throat. Two weeks ago she'd been fantasizing about a future with Aidan. Now, she was determined to never see him again. Just when she thought her composure would crack, David reached out to hold her other hand. "Your twin’s going to be awesome. Smart, sweet." David paused, squeezing her hand. "Nothing like him."

Sage sent back a half-hearted smile. "Promise?"

"Yes, you loser. I promise." David winked at her. "We’ll have an awesome life. You'll see."

For a moment Sage actually believed him, until the thought of Aidan and Cat pulled her swiftly out of that fantasy. Maybe David was right about the future, and things would get better. For now, however, she still had to find a way to live through the hell that was her life now.

*****

Sage was caught somewhere in dreamland when the nonstop ringing of her cell phone abruptly woke her up. Thinking it was the alarm going off, she tried shutting it off only to realise it was Aidan calling. Immediately she sat up straight, staring at the screen. It was past two in the morning. After everything that happened, why was he calling her? Her first instinct was to answer. In those moments when her control slipped and she allowed herself to remember, her heart ached for him. There had been no closure between them, no time for her to process that things were over – something Aidan didn't seem to struggle with as he'd moved on to Cat the very next day. Then again, it's not like he'd ever actually loved her, which he'd openly professed.

The phone stopped ringing. Maybe he'd dialled her number by accident trying to reach Cat, Sage mused bitterly, and then chastised herself for it. It was better for her to suppress her feelings than wallow in them, because, otherwise, it meant Cat and Aidan had won.

Her phone buzzed again, this time with a text message notification. 

"I miss you."

Sage sat there dumbfounded, gawking at her phone. Did he take her for an idiot? How could he possibly think she would respond to him after he'd been flirting with Cat day after day, flaunting their reconciliation in her face? Or maybe she was over-thinking the whole thing. Maybe Aidan was looking for a quick fuck and figured he would try his luck again with her since she'd slept with him so easily before.

She turned off her phone, set it back on the table, and crawled back under the covers. It was a while before she felt relaxed enough to sleep again.

The next morning she was getting ready for school when another text message from Aidan popped up on her phone. 

"Meet me at out spot at 9. Please."

All her determination to stay composed dissipated in an instant; rage coursed through her veins. Acting on pure instinct she rushed out of her room and into the main house to look for Cat, whom she found in the kitchen, drinking a smoothie.

"Tell your boyfriend to stop harassing me! I'm not his goddamn fuck buddy!"

Before Cat could respond, Sage stormed out.

*****

Later that day, despite having to walk past Aidan several times in the hallway, Sage felt a lot more in control of herself. Although his gaze remained fixated on her every time their paths crossed, it was easier to ignore him knowing he wouldn't approach her with others around – he wouldn't risk word getting back to her sister. 

An hour later Sage was at her locker to grab a textbook when Aidan came up behind her, startling her with his sudden appearance.

"How long are you going to keep avoiding me?"

She didn't respond, she didn't even look at him.

"I know I fucked up. I shouldn't have given you an ultimatum about mom," he said. "I was just so pissed off at you that day, and I know I said shitty things. I didn't mean it, any of it. You know that, don't you?" His voice quivered with raw emotion. "I'm so sorry."

He was close, too close. She slammed her locker shut and tried to walk away but he blocked her path, trapping her against the wall.

"I say fucked up things when I lose my temper. It's just a heat of the moment thing, it's not personal. It never means anything. You've done it too," he reminded her. "When we fight, that's just how it is. That's who we are, and then we get over it and move on. Remember?"

Was it really that simple for him? His declaration of hate was seared into her brain, ready to taunt and torment the second she thought of him, and while it was true she'd said horrible things in the past she'd regretted them instantly. He, on the other hand, had clung to that rage, using her sister as a weapon to punish her.

"Say something. Please."

Refusing to even glance at him, she focused her attention on his neck and realised he was wearing her necklace. A part of her wanted to rip it away from him immediately but she didn't want to do anything that would betray her emotions.

"How do I fix this? Tell me."

How could he sound so sincere now when only a few days ago he'd been cruel and callous, and sucking face with her sister? What was wrong with her that she was actually considering speaking to him?

"Talk to me, Sage. Say something."

He leaned in closer, resting his forehead against hers. She felt his breath hum against her cheeks, the touch of his fingers stroking hers, and her body trembled at his close proximity. How could being with him feel so right when she knew how little he really felt for her?

"I know you're angry right now. I was too. I was so fucking mad until I realised I was about to lose you. But I can't do that, Sage. I can't be without you, and I know you feel the same. We're stuck with each other. That's how it's meant to be."

She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I'm fucking empty without you, I'm nothing, a complete mess. You make everything in my life better. You make me better. You get that, don't you?"

He cradled her face, gently nudging her to meet his gaze, and she was struck by the deep pools of emotion in his eyes. It would be so easy to drown in them and forget all the pain.

"What we have is amazing. It's special. It's worth fighting for. So scream at me. Yell at me. Hit me. Punch me. I don't mind, I can take it. As long as it makes things right between us again, I'll do whatever you want."

The bell rang; the hallway started to fill up with students. The whispers grew louder, their stares more blatant; Sage realised they were the center of attention.

His voice was hoarse with tears when he spoke again. "I... love you. I'm sorry it took me this long to admit it but I've never said those words to anyone. Not my parents, not... anyone. Except you."

David's words resurfaced in her mind, reminding her of how easily Aidan had dismissed their relationship to Cat. If Aidan's feelings were true, sincere, he wouldn't have felt the need to hide them.

"I love you, Sage."

It was the final straw; she couldn't take it anymore. Using all her energy, she pushed him away. "I want my necklace back," she said, amazed by her own ability to sound so serene when her heart was bursting with pain. "Give it to Theo, not your girlfriend. I’ll get it back from him.”

She walked away, ignoring the anguished look on Aidan's face and the hushed murmurs of everyone watching them.

*****

The rumour mill seemed to have gone into overdrive after her public confrontation with Aidan two days ago. It seemed like everywhere Sage turned, there were people whispering about her. She used to think being called a terrorist and other racial slurs were bad enough, but now they gossiped about her being a slut and it stung worse.

A while back when things were still good some girl had walked in on Aidan and her in the bathroom. Now that everyone seemed to be curious about them, the freshman was sharing details and enjoying her moment in the sun. Every day there seemed to be a different version of the hookup, the rumors snowballed and now there were stories about Sage fucking multiple guys, even having full- on orgies. It was absolutely ridiculous but the assholes at Belleville were happy to spread the lies. It was degrading, and she'd come close to losing her temper many times but she forced herself to ignore them. She couldn’t afford to get in any more trouble. And knowing the school administration, they’d blame her for any confrontations.

Aidan hadn't shown up in school since their last fight. Neither had Cat. Sage figured he ran to her sister for comfort and now the two were probably holed up in his place, fucking each other's brains out. People always gossiped that Aidan and Cat ended up together no matter what. If only she’d listened.

The bell rang, snapping her out of her reverie. Knowing the hallway would be crowded if she were to go out there now, she lingered in class for several minutes. Asking Mr. Smith inane questions about the study material was far preferable to dealing with the assholes waiting out there to taunt her.

*****

Sage exited the school, relieved to find the parking lot practically empty save for a few students hanging around. As she neared her car, it became clear one of the back tires was flat. Someone had stuck a pin in it.

She circled around to inspect for more damages and spotted a piece of paper stuck in the front windshield. Her body tensed as she picked it up to read it.

Eat my dick at lunch tomorrow? I'll pay more if you swallow. Whore.

Sage ripped it up and threw it to the ground.

"Looks like you need a ride."

She turned around to find Theo standing a few feet away, looking down at the punctured tire. "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

He smiled. "Bad day?"

"Bad year."

"Come on, I'll give you a ride home."

"My car-"

"We'll have one of dad's drivers fix up the tire and drop it off at home."

That sounded a far better option than waiting here. "Thanks."

Shortly after they were on their way, with Theo zooming along the road while Sage stared out the window. The car was filled with awkward silence which wasn't unexpected. Except for a handful of occasions, like the time he'd urged her not to hurt his best friend, they barely hung out or even spoke. She pondered making conversation but, frankly, wasn't in the mood.

"I don't know what's going on with you and Aidan but can you talk to him? He's so fucked up right now."

Sage clenched her jaw. "He's not my problem."

"That's a shitty thing to say. I thought you liked him."

She turned to face him. "And I thought he wasn't an asshole. Guess we were both wrong."

"I knew the two of you were a bad idea!" Theo smacked his hand against the steering wheel in frustration. "I told him to stay away from you. I told him it was a big mistake!"

"Now you can rub it in his face and gloat." She plastered on a fake smile. "Every cloud has a silver lining, right?"

He shot her an irritated glance before turning his attention back on the road. After a short bout of silence, he spoke again. "You really don't give a shit, do you?"

"I don't. Not anymore," she lied.

"He cares about you.”

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "He'll get over it. Faster, if you dangle Cat in front of him."

"Fuck, no! She's messed him up way worse than you."

Which only proved Aidan's feelings for Cat were a lot more intense. Sage swallowed the lump in her throat. "Look, he has a chain of mine which means a lot to me. Can you get it back from him?"

"Why should I help you when you won't help me?"

Sensing Theo's frustration, she paused, choosing her next words with caution. "You're worried about him. I get that. And yeah, he's probably in a bad place right now, but once things blow over he'll be fine. Think about all those times he and Cat broke up. Things eventually went back to normal, right?”

Theo nodded begrudgingly. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Well, it'll be the same again. Probably quicker." As much as it hurt to admit, she knew it was the truth. "It's better to cut off all ties now instead of dragging things along indefinitely. He'll move on faster."

"You sound so sure."

"Because I am." Her heart ached; she felt sick. "You were right, Aidan and I were a huge mistake. Things should have ended a long time ago."

"He seemed so happy though. He was actually making plans for college; he's never done that before."

Sage gave her brother a small smile, shrugging her shoulders. "He was excited about frat parties."

Theo didn't respond, instead watching her curiously. She turned away from him, reminding herself to keep it together.

*****

The next day at school she was sitting by herself in the courtyard, working on an assignment while waiting for David to join her for lunch. There were people snickering behind her, catcalling and saying shit, but she willed herself to ignore them. If this was what was in store for her until graduation, she had to find a way to cope with it – sooner the better.

She looked up and suddenly froze at the sight of Aidan striding towards her at a fast pace. She didn't realise he was back in school. Aidan slid onto the spot next to her on the bench, grabbing her pen away from her hand. She turned to glare at him, finding it difficult to remain apathetic when he was sitting so close. It wasn't bad enough that his eyes were focused and penetrating right through her, but she also sensed everyone else staring at them. "Leave me alone," she said, surprised by her own calmness.

"You're not getting your necklace back. Want to know why?"

"Because you're an asshole?"

"Because you gave it to me. You gave it to me. I didn't ask you for it, I even told you I didn't want it because I knew how important it was to you. But you looked right at me, and you told me you loved me, and you said you wanted me to have it. You chose to do that; I didn't force you into it. You don't get to change your mind now just because we're going through a bad phase."

Heat spread across her cheeks, both from anger and embarrassment. Why was he bringing up something private? Was he trying to put on a show for his friends? She moved to stand up but his fingers curved around her elbow, pulling her down again.

"Tell me how to fix things between us." There was a frightening desperation in his eyes. "Because I can't stand this anymore."

"There is no fixing things. We're done."

"Fuck you!" he bit out, leaning in closer. "I love you, and you love me. We're not done."

Her resolve to remain unaffected dissolved right away. "Oh, were you showing me how much you loved me when you hooked up with Cat again? Was that why you had your tongue down her throat every time I turned around?"

"That was a mistake." His voice softened, his eyes flashed with regret. "I was pissed and wanted to hurt you. That's all. People do it all the time."

She wanted to laugh at the utter ridiculousness of his words. Seeing him with Cat, day in and day out, had devastated her and made her feel more worthless than she could have imagined. Yet here he was, using anger to justify all of his actions – probably a lesson he learned from his parents.

"I know it was stupid, I shouldn't have done it," he continued. "I swear it'll never happen again."

No longer concerned about the attention, she pried his fingers off her arm and stood up. Filled with contempt, she glared down at him. "You think I believe you? You're a filthy. Fucking. Liar. And I don't want you around me."

Grabbing her things haphazardly, she tried to walk away but he was fast and stealthy and blocked her path before she could leave.

"Hey dude, be careful. It's my turn with her after lunch and I don’t like ‘em all bruised up," yelled Jordan. A friend of Aidan’s, he stood a few feet away, enjoying the howling laughter his words elicited with the crowd. 

Tears threatened to overwhelm her but she refused to give into them. Not in front of Aidan. Not anyone else. They could try and break her but she would never let them win. No matter what. Her jaw clenched, she leveled Aidan with a hostile stare. "Get the fuck out of my way. Or I'll start spilling secrets that you don't want your friends to know."

His eyes turned cold, his face blank. She waited for him to hurl insults at her but he remained quiet, his gaze boring into her. Finally he moved away, swaggering towards the table where Jordan and the rest of his group was at.

One minute everyone was hollering and cheering on Aidan as he approached them. The next Aidan had grabbed Jordan by the neck, pulled him to the ground, and started beating on him viciously.

Her first instinct was to rush towards Aidan, stop him from making a huge mistake. Instead, she walked back into the school building.

***

Now...

Sage stepped out of the shower, grabbed a fresh towel from the shelf and started drying herself. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she scrutinised her naked body. Shit. She looked the same. What the hell? After finally managing to carve out some time for the gym (something she'd been putting off for months now), she'd been killing herself during work-outs, hoping to see results sooner rather than later. Yet, there was no change in her body. The trainers did say it would take at least six weeks to see any improvements, and it had barely been a month, but she was running out of patience.

"Mommy, someone's knocking."

Snapping out of her pity party, Sage slipped into a robe. "Okay, I'll be there in a sec."

"Can I open it?"

Sage quickly swung the bathroom door open and found her seven-year-old daughter staring up at her. An eager smile curved the little girl's face, her beautiful brown eyes – so very similar to Layal's – shining with excitement.

"Can I?"

As hard as it was, especially with Ziyah playing the doe-eyed part to perfection, Sage shook her head 'no'. "Honey, you can't. You're not old enough, remember?" As the knocks grew more insistent, Sage made her way out of the master bedroom, heading to the entrance door located at the end of the hallway. Ziyah followed beside her, tugging at her arm. "I'll be right there," Sage yelled, hoping they could hear her over Ziyah's loud pleas.

"But you said I could when I turned eight."

"Are you eight now?"

"No, but I'll be eight soon," Ziyah whined.

Sage tried a different approach. "When you're tall enough to look through the peephole, then you can answer the door."

"What if I never get that big?"

"You will, if you eat the vegetables I give you instead of pushing them around."

"No! I hate vegetables! They're so gross!" Ziyah stormed back into the den but not before sticking her tongue out at Sage defiantly.

"Big girls don't have temper tantrums!" Sage called after her. Turning around she opened the door, and found David waiting for her on the other side, wearing the same disgruntled expression as Ziyah.

"Geez, took you long enough!" he huffed, handing her one of his bags. "Don't just stand there, help me."

"What are you doing here?" She pulled the rest of his things inside. "You're supposed to be here tomorrow night."

"Oh, is this not convenient? Should I come back tomorrow?"

Sage gave him an exasperated smile, shutting the door behind him. Her best friend may have been an adult but there were times when he could just as bratty as her daughter. "No need to be so snippy, drama queen. I'm just surprised you were able to get up here without security stopping you."

"Pretty boy Rob was about to call you but I told him not to bother.”

"Seriously? He just let you come up here?"

"Maybe I’m his type.”

"Maybe you blew him.”

"Now who's being snippy?" David pointed out. "And as to why I'm here early. Let's just say Patrick isn't too happy with me right now and I needed some extra loving from my favourite girls."

"Aw." Sage encircled him in her arms and gave him a tight hug before pulling back to examine him. David was always in a jovial mood but today his eyes were red, like he'd been crying. "You alright?"

"I'm fine. Nothing wine can't cure."

"Something tells me the one bottle I have won't be enough."

"Oh honey, think more. Think at least five."

"Looks like I'll have to make a pit stop at the liquor store."

"Uncle David?" Ziyah squealed. Her long braid swung side to side as she ran towards them from the opposite end of the hallway. Upon reaching David, she wrapped her arms around his legs. In turn he picked her up, playfully nuzzling her while she giggled hysterically.

"Is this my Ziyah?" he teased. "I didn't even recognize you, munchkin. You're so big now!"

"Tell Mommy that!"

Curbing back a smile, Sage gave her daughter a stern look. "What do you think Uncle David will say about the hissy fit you threw?"

"Uh oh." David tapped Ziyah's nose lightly. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!"

"Nothing, Ziyah? Really?" Sage asked, reaching up to brush the hair away from her daughter's face. "Munchkin over here just yelled at me."

"That's not nice, hun."

"But she was being mean!" Ziyah whined, playing with the necklace around David's neck. "You were knocking, and I asked her if I can open it, and she said no."

"Seems like Mommy wasn't being very nice either."

"David!" Sage glared at him with disbelief. "She can't be opening the door. What if it was a stranger?"

Realising his mistake, David affected a disciplinary tone. "Mommy's right, Ziyah. It could be a stranger and we shouldn't be opening doors for them."

"But you're not a stranger." She wrapped her chubby arms around his head and squeezed him with a tight grip.

"Okay, smarty pants," he said, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "So your mom tells me you have a new boyfriend, Missy. What's his name?"

"His name is Bobby. He calls me Zee."

"Zee? That's silly. That's not your name."

"But I like it. And he gave me a flower."

Chatting animatedly with each other, David carried Ziyah back to the den. Sage was left alone in the corridor, surrounded by his things. "No, no, go ahead. I don't need any help. I can do this all by myself,” she muttered to no one.

He was supposed to be staying for a week; he'd packed enough for a month. As usual. Exhaling a heavy sigh, she started dragging his very heavy luggage towards the guest room.

*****

Grabbing a bottle of wine and two glasses, Sage headed into the den. David was plopped down on the couch, surfing through Netflix.

"Here." She handed him a glass, filled it halfway with wine.

"That's it?" he asked, pouting.

"How about you finish that first, boozehound?" Sitting down on the opposite corner of the couch, she raised her feet to rest them on his lap. She poured herself some wine before setting the bottle aside.

"I love that kid to death, don't get me wrong, but oh my god is she exhausting!"

Sage laughed at David's words, taking a sip of her drink. "Welcome to my world."

"I can't believe how much she's grown in a few months. Next time I see her she'll probably look like a teenager!"

"Ugh, don't even go there. She's already so frickin' stubborn."

"Takes after her mother, obviously."

She kicked him playfully and he grinned.

"Sooo..." He turned towards her, spreading his arm along the back of the couch. "How did the date go?"

"What date?"

"The one you told me about last week on the phone. Don't even pretend like you don't remember."

She rolled her eyes. "He freaked out when he found out I had a kid."

"Here's an idea. You could have just not told him."

"Yeah, 'cause it's so easy to keep something like that a secret."

"Not like you have to marry the guy. Date him, fuck him, and then cut him loose."

"Not that easy to do, my friend."

"Yes it is, my friend. You just have to give it a shot."

"Honestly, he was a drag. One of those douchebag stockbroker types. I couldn't wait to get out of there and come home."

"You don't need to like a guy to fuck him and get off.”

"You think he knows how to get a woman off?”

David chuckled before studying her with a scrutinising stare for several seconds. "I don't know if it's the wine or whatever but you look really good. Happy, you know?"

Sage beamed. "I've been hitting the gym."

"Ah, that's what it is."

"That and work’s been going well lately. I sold two houses last month and it looks like some more things will pan out soon. And Ziyah's happy, healthy." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I guess I'm just in a good place right now."

"I'm glad. You deserve it."

"So do you. Want to tell me what's going on with you and Patrick? I know something's wrong."

He downed the rest of his drink. "Not right now. Maybe later."

She reached over to give his hand a tight squeeze. "I worry about you."

"And I worry that you'll never get laid again."

She hit him lightly. "Shut up!"

"Haven't you heard? If you don't use it you lose it."

"Yeah well, it's been used. So stop getting on my case!"

"Why didn't you just say so? That's all I needed to hear."

"Can we drop the subject now?"

"Yes. Fine."

She smirked, throwing her hand up in the air. "Thank God."

A short while later she was fixing up the guest room when David walked in, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. "I want to tell you something but I don't know if I should."

She cast him an exasperated glance, sitting down on one corner of the bed. "I hate when you start a conversation with that." He didn't respond but the gleam in his eyes was certainly disconcerting. "What's going on?"

"I ran into Madeline a few weeks ago."

Her body stiffened immediately upon hearing that name. David sat down next to her. Deep-buried anger from long ago threatened to expose itself and crush her but Sage refused to let that rage break the inner peace she'd fought so hard to cultivate. Those people were a part of her past, and that's where they would remain. Before she was alone and vulnerable, a perfect fodder for predators, but not anymore. Now she had a daughter to protect, a life she loved that was free of hate and prejudice and no one was going to threaten it. Absolutely no one. "Did you say something to her?”

"Nope. She didn’t know who I was."

"Good. Stay out of her radar."

"You ever think about-"

"No," Sage interjected before he could finish the thought. "I don't. That part of my life is over." He leaned in closer and placed a gentle kiss on her right cheek. The gesture was affectionate, warm, and exactly what she needed to pull her out of her gloomy state. Linking her arm through his, she settled her head on his shoulder.

"You're the toughest girl I know," he said.

"I'm not a girl, David."

"Fine. Woman. Whatever. Point is you're tough, but you've been through a lot. It's not easy to put all that shit behind you."

"No, it's not. But I did it and that's where it'll stay. Behind me."

There was a brief moment of comfortable silence between them.

"Hun, as much as I'm enjoying you cuddling me to death I need to catch up on some sleep. I have to take that daughter of yours to the park tomorrow and you know that ain't going to be easy."

"Pussy." She stood up, dropped a tender kiss on his forehead before turning to leave.

"Thanks for the talk."

"Thanks for letting me stay."

"Like I have a choice."

He rolled up the wet towel and threw it at her; she blocked it with the door. Chuckling, she walked back to the kitchen to clean up.

*****

The water in the tub was almost scorching hot, just the way Sage liked it. Submerged in it, she lolled her head back on the edge of the tub and let the warmth wash over her. Baths were a luxury with the schedule she kept; luckily with David taking Ziyah to the park and spending the afternoon with her, she had the time to indulge in one today.

She was a few chapters into a murder mystery novel when the knock on the main door reached her ears. She contemplated ignoring it but then grew anxious when the knocks turned incessant. Sage stood up and climbed out of the tub, grabbing the nearest robe along the way to cover her dripping body as she walked to the door.

She looked through the peephole to see who it was. Suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her lungs.

"Open up, Sage. I know you're in there."

His voice. Aidan's voice. Playful and taunting, the same yet completely grown-up.

"I can hear you freaking out in there. You too scared to come out here?”

Provoking her. Like always. 

"I can stay here as long as I have to, whole night even. Carpet doesn't look too comfortable but I've slept on worse.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. 

She had to get him out of here, as quickly as possible. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to cool down. Losing it was not an option, not now, not in front of Aidan. It took a few seconds but at last she managed to regain her composure. Calm and collected, she finally opened the door.

Aidan stood there leaning against the wall, one foot crossed over the other, striking a casual pose. His hair was slightly longer while his face held the slightest hint of scruff – like he hadn't shaved in a few days. Dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt and a leather jacket, he looked every bit the jackass she remembered and more. He had always been good-looking but now there was a hardness to his features, a weathered edge that made him so much more hotter. 

As she waited for him to speak her hands felt clammy, stomach queasy, heart drumming so loudly she was worried it would give out. Except he remained silent, his dark eyes locked in on her.

To be continued...

Tagging @bustlingcrowdsxorxsilentsleepers 

@idaofinfinity 

@tiki-tequila

[kitsunekat9]

You're probably not gonna answer this, but I'll try anyway: Why do you hate Adrien?

Hi anon! Believe it or not, I actually used to like Adrien. When the show first started, I thought he was sweet, funny, and tried his best. But as the show progressed, he just became worse. He started acting entitled to Ladybug, becoming demanding and whiny whenever he didn’t get what he wanted. (EX: throwing tantrums when Ladybug turned him down. I’d go into detail but plenty of other people have already made great posts about his numerous misbehaviors and failures as a hero, so I’ll leave it to you to read those posts for the specifics.)

The thing about Miraculous is that it’s marketed as a girl power superhero show. Given what it’s set itself up as, since he’s the male lead, Adrien is supposed to be supportive of the female lead. (Think Sailor Moon, and how Tuxedo Mask, even if he didn’t like her civilian side at first, was always encouraging of her heroine side and reminded her of her own strength when she felt discouraged.)

Part of my hatred for him is aimed at the writers, especially Astruc, because they’re pushing this narrative of Adrien being absolutely perfect and the pinnacle of romance for a male lead. Astruc has even said that Adrien is perfect and that Marinette is always in the wrong even when the problems in the show are clearly not caused by her nor are her fault. And for a show that’s supposed to be about girl power? Propping up the male lead while constantly putting down the female heroine is completely anti feminist.

Miraculous was inspired by Asian culture and the super heroine magical girl genre. The way Astruc and his team are allowing Adrien to get away with absolutely atrocious behavior while simultaneously making Marinette look (and feel) pathetic is disrespectful to the source they claim to be paying homage to.

Of course Marinette has her flaws. But it’s harder for me to judge her harshly for that because she’s written by a team of male writers who don’t understand teenage girls and have no empathy for teenage girls either. Marinette is a bit of a spaz with her anxiety and she can be more than a little creepy with her crush. But a lot of her misbehavior is egged on by the people around her. Her extreme actions like stealing Adrien’s phone and breaking into his room to give him that hat gift are encouraged by her friends like Alya and the girl squad. She’s basically stuck between a rock and a hard place; if she doesn’t take her friends’ “advice” on what to do about her crush, then they’ll be angry at her and she’ll potentially lose her friendships. Everyone likes to pity Adrien because he was isolated before going to school but people forget that Marinette didn’t have any friends before either and was severely bullied.

Marinette’s circumstances make her far more sympathetic to me than Adrien. She’s a working class, mixed-race girl trying her best to balance her duties with her relationships and no matter what the situation is, she’s wholly dedicated to her duties as a hero. Meanwhile, Adrien is a rich white boy who’s more concerned about possessing the girl he likes rather than being responsible for protecting Paris. Someone else on tumblr has said it before: “as a hero, even if you feel your situation is unfair or you’re being mistreated, if you have the power to save someone, then you have the responsibility to act upon that power and step up to be a hero.”

When Marinette wanted to give up being Ladybug after Stoneheart, it was because she thought she wasn’t good enough to be a hero. Adrien, on the other hand, thought he was too good as a hero and deserved to know all of Ladybug’s secrets, even though they were Master Fu’s orders and not hers to tell. Marinette is fundamentally selfless, while Adrien has shown time and again that he is selfish.

Admittedly, I can sometimes be harsh on Adrien. But his fans, the fandom, and the creators’ worship of him are only making my stance on him stronger. I can’t tolerate a male lead who acts the way he acts. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and you’re welcome to disagree with me, but I won’t be changing my mind. Thank you for being respectful when you sent me the ask, and if you’ve managed to read this far, thank you for your time. I wish you all the best and hope that no matter what your opinions are, your fandom experience is still at least enjoyable. Fandom is for each fan individually to curate and I hope that even if you block me or anyone else, you can keep enjoying yourself and having fun online.

P.S. I hate him is actually just my salt tag. I’ve used it to hate on Bakugou from BNHA too. I’m just particular about my tag system and didn’t want to write salt because I already have too many tags starting with ‘sa-’ so it’s easier for me to come up with a different tag.

[stupidnotebook]

It’s been over a year now since we last spoke. I don’t think you’ll give this letter the time of day but I feel I need to write it for my own sake regardless of whether or not you delete it immediately. I need this because in a lot of ways it still hurts how things ended and in some twisted way I struggle to find value in myself without you. So this could just be me bragging to show you that I can go on without you and to prove to myself that I’m not some broken thing. Maybe in this way I can convince myself that my achievements are a sign of a brighter future.

First things first I suppose, I no longer work on the assembly line in that shitty job i had before. I made a big move and now I am in training to build and repair robots and other industrial machinery. I get better benefits and can work whatever hours i want right now get more time off and in about four years I will be making double what i was earning at GM when you knew me. I love my job and the challenges it poses for me to learn things like programming and mechanics. I get along with all my coworkers and bosses. I actually am excited to go to work and do what I do now and just about everyone is excited to have me there because I’m one of only four new employees in the last 7 years. I also am doing really well at my job and when I did the testing to apply for it I scored the highest in my group.

Outside of work, my home life is so much more stable. Jack is doing great in school and he and I do things together every day. We’re planning out our adventures together like going kayaking or traveling to new places. I’m going to Montreal soon and I’ll be taking Jack to either disneyland or lego land before the end of the year also. For Christmas this year I still have planned to go to the Philippines and I have a boss who wants to come with me to the Carolinas so he can teach me how to surf before I go anywhere tropical so that may be a weekend trip on a long weekend. Jack and I are learning how to skateboard too and we go on bike rides and go rock climbing and hiking and we’re learning how to speak Spanish and Tagalog with proper tutors and soon he will also begin learning to play drums. He’s in a drama club and plays soccer and his school has recently tested his reading skills and placed him at a fourth grade reading level despite only being six. He’s getting really creative with building legos too and is constantly coming up with new games and imaginary worlds.

With the training I’ve been receiving I also have began designing a home I plan to build. A lot of the guys I work with have designed or built their own homes and saved on the costs by doing the labor themselves so they’ve been helping me with the planning and in a couple years I will have enough to go to the bank and begin the process. By that time I expect I will have my old house paid off and I’ll begin renting it out to add to my assets.

All in all, I think I’m doing a great job of improving myself and my situation. I still struggle a lot especially when I think about you but therapy has been helping with that. I don’t think you’ll ever care how much damage you’ve done to me but I still think about you every day I’m sure you’ve moved on but I gave up on finding love in a partner. I don’t think I can ever trust a person in that way again to allow myself to be vulnerable for a relationship so I gave up on that about a week after you messaged me last.

I’m looking to still find the piece of me that can be content being alone. I’m making new friends and that helps but sometimes I think about the good times I had when I was with you and it feels like that pure joy can never be replaced. I have to remind myself of the cost of that and think about the horrible times that accompanied those moments. It’s a painful feeling in my stomach when I think about all that was done and sometimes it becomes too much and I find myself acting irrational like feeling like that bad is going to come back and I wind up locking the doors as if that’s going to keep it out. It doesn’t seem fair that despite everything I’ve grown into I still am looking for some valida from you through a letter. It isn’t right that you get to hurt me and disrupt my psyche in such a way. I wake up thinking about you nearly every day and get sad even when there’s so much good going on. I wish I could forget about you entirely because you are a single factor in my life that can still drag me down without even being here.

[thepatrickblanco]

Quick Regrets || Patrick Self Para

Patrick hummed to himself as he and Lucia waited at the front door. He could hear the lock clicking and soon enough the door open to Ari standing there, a dressing gown wrapped around her. To her credit, she did look a little worse for wear. Besides, Patrick was hardly complaining about having attended the concert today... it had all worked out rather well for him. He'd drop Lucia off, then text Hayes and see what happened from there. Ari ushered them in and he followed, knowing he wouldn't be able to get away immediately. Lucia was babbling to her parents (David, Ari's husband had joined them) about how amazing it was, and how great all the members of the band was, and then she made a joke about one of the band members seeming to really like Patrick, to which he shot his niece a look. She smiled, innocently, as Ari told her to go upstairs and get ready for bed.

"Patrick," Ari admonished, shaking her head, "you were meant to let the kids talk to the band members. Were you really trying to get all the attention on yourself?" Patrick glared at her, "really, Ari? I was as much in that room as anybody else and besides, he started talking to me." Ari rolled her eyes, opening the fridge to get all three of them a bottle of water, David staying decidedly quiet. "Of course he did," she said, and Patrick knew she didn't believe him so he couldn't help but snapping back, "well Hayes gave me his number and I'm going to go meet him so if you'll excuse me, I think I'll be off..." He put the water bottle that he hadn't even opened down and turned to leave, but Ari caught his arm.

"Patrick," she said, voice more gentle now, "don't be stupid. He probably gave you a fake number, but even if it's real who knows what he wants? He's probably just bored and wants to use you then move on." Patrick didn't shake her arm off him but he did stop, turning to look at her, "you forget, I quite enjoy a one night stand and I'm not expecting anything other than that. Are you really telling me to give up the opportunity to spend the night with a literal rock star? Are you crazy?" "I'm sure it would mostly be disappointing," she said, patting his arm, "besides, isn't he the bisexual one? Remember Ivan? You don't want that again, do you?" Patrick took a breath, steadying himself. Ivan was different, he knew that. He could point that out to Ari but it wouldn't get anywhere. It had been a high school relationship that Ari herself had got involved with, but constantly reminded Patrick of what Ivan did to him like she didn't play any part in that. Besides, he and Ivan parted amicably in the end. Last he heard he was studying in Brazil.

"Ari-" "No, come now Patrick. Just spend the night here, it's late, and Lucia will be thrilled to see her Uncle Patrick here in the morning. You wouldn't want to disappoint her, would you?" "No, but-" "Good. Now give me your phone, so you can delete his number and you don't have to think about it again. Trust me, he'll have forgotten about you by tomorrow." He pulled out his phone, knowing she likely wasn't going to let him leave. He didn't know why but she always seemed to get in his head and he didn't have the energy to fight it. Something he expected he would regret at some point on his life. But, before he passed it to Ari, he quickly went in and screenshotted Hayes' number, luckily it had still been open on the screen. He then deleted the number and showed Ari who seemed satisfied.

She suggested they watch a movie, and Patrick sighed, knowing he wouldn't be getting away tonight. Tomorrow, after having breakfast with Ari, David and Lucia, he would look to see August Moon's shows, only to read they had flown out of Madrid early the following day and he would know he missed his shot. He knew Ari was probably right, that Hayes would have forgotten about their interaction in a day or two, but he couldn't stop but think...

What if.

[ganymedesclock]

These are questions I've had for some while and it's hard to find someone who'll answer with grace. This mostly relates to disabilities (mental or physical) in fiction.

1) What makes a portrayal of a disability that's harming the character in question ableist?

2) Is there a way to write a disabled villain in a way that isn't ableist?

In the circles I've been in, the common conceptions are you can't use a character's disability as a plot point or showcase it being a hindrance in some manner. heaven forbid you make your villain disabled in some capacity, that's a freaking death sentence to a creative's image. I understand historically villains were the only characters given disabilities, but (and this is my personal experience) I've not seen as many disabled villains nowadays, heck, I see more disabled heroes in media nowadays.

Sorry if this comes off as abrasive, I'd really like to be informed for future media consumption and my own creative endeavors.

Okay so the first thing I'm going to say is that while it IS a good idea to talk to disabled people and get their feedback, disabled people are not a monolith and they aren't going to all have the same take on how this goes.

My personal take is biased in favor that I'm a neurodivergent person (ADHD and autism) who has no real experience with physical disabilities, so I won't speak for physically disabled people- heck, I won't even speak for every neurotype. Like I say, people aren't a monolith.

For myself and my own writing of disabled characters, here's a couple of concepts I stick by:

Research is your friend

Think about broad conventions of ableism

Be mindful of cast composition

1. Research is your friend

Yeah this is the thing everybody says, so here's the main bases I try to cover:

What's the story on this character's disability?

Less in terms of 'tragic angst' and more, what kind of condition this is- because a congenital amputee (that is to say, someone who was born without a limb) will have a different relationship to said limb absence than someone who lost their limb years ago to someone who lost their limb yesterday. How did people in their life respond to it, and how did they respond to it? These responses are not "natural" and will not be the same to every person with every worldview. This can also be a great environment to do worldbuilding in! Think about the movie (and the tv series) How To Train Your Dragon. The vikings in that setting don't have access to modern medicine, and they're, well, literally fighting dragons and other vikings. The instance of disability is high, and the medical terminology to talk about said disabilities is fairly lackluster- but in a context where you need every man you possibly can to avoid the winter, the mindset is going to be not necessarily very correct, but egalitarian. You live in a village of twenty people and know a guy who took a nasty blow to the head and hasn't quite been the same ever since? "Traumatic Brain Injury" is probably not going to be on your lips, but you're also probably going to just make whatever peace you need to and figure out how to accommodate Old Byron for his occasional inability to find the right word, stammers and trembles. In this example, there are several relevant pieces of information- what the character's disability is (aphasia), how they got it (brain injury), and the culture and climate around it (every man has to work, and we can't make more men or throw them away very easily, so, how can we make sure this person can work even if we don't know what's wrong with them)

And that dovetails into:

What's the real history, and modern understandings, of this?

This is where "knowing the story" helps a lot. To keep positing our hypothetical viking with a brain injury, I can look into brain injuries, what affects their extent and prognosis, and maybe even beliefs about this from the time period and setting I'm thinking of (because people have had brains, and brain injuries, the entire time!) Sure, if the setting is fantastical, I have wiggle room, but looking at inspirations might give me a guide post.

Having a name for your disorder also lets you look for posts made by specific people who live with the condition talking about their lives. This is super, super important for conditions stereotyped as really scary, like schizophrenia or narcissistic personality disorder. Even if you already know "schizophrenic people are real and normal" it's still a good thing to wake yourself up and connect with others.

2. Think about broad conventions of ableism

It CAN seem very daunting or intimidating to stay ahead of every single possible condition that could affect someone's body and mind and the specific stereotypes to avoid- there's a lot under the vast umbrella of human experience and we're learning more all the time! A good hallmark is, ableism has a few broad tendencies, and when you see those tendencies rear their head, in your own thinking or in accounts you read by others, it's good to put your skeptical glasses on and look closer. Here's a few that I tend to watch out for:

Failing the “heartwarming dog” test

This was a piece of sage wisdom that passed my eyeballs, became accepted as sage wisdom, and my brain magnificently failed to recall where I saw it. Basically, if you could replace your disabled character with a lovable pet who might need a procedure to save them, and it wouldn’t change the plot, that’s something to look into.

Disability activists speak often about infantilization, and this is a big thing of what they mean- a lot of casual ableism considers disabled people as basically belonging to, or being a burden onto, the able-bodied and neurotypical. This doesn’t necessarily even need to have an able neurotypical in the picture- a personal experience I had that was extremely hurtful was at a point in high school, I decided to do some research on autism for a school project. As an autistic teenager looking up resources online, I was very upset to realize that every single resource I accessed at the time presumed it was talking to a neurotypical parent about their helpless autistic child. I was looking for resources to myself, yet made to feel like I was the subject in a conversation.

Likewise, many wheelchair users have relayed the experience of, when they, in their chair, are in an environment accompanied by someone else who isn’t using a chair, strangers would speak to the standing person exclusively, avoiding addressing the chair user. 

It’s important to always remind yourself that at no point do disabled people stop being people. Yes, even people who have facial deformities; yes, even people who need help using the bathroom; yes, even people who drool; yes, even people whose conditions impact their ability to communicate, yes, even people with cognitive disabilities. They are people, they deserve dignity, and they are not “a child trapped in a 27-year-old body”- a disabled adult is still an adult. All of the “trying to learn the right rules” in the world won’t save you if you keep an underlying fear of non-normative bodies and minds.

This also has a modest overlap between disability and sexuality in particular. I am an autistic grayromantic ace. Absolutely none of my choices or inclinations about sex are because I’m too naive or innocent or childlike to comprehend the notion- disabled people have as diverse a relationship with sexuality as any other. That underlying fear- as mentioned before- can prevent many people from imagining that, say, a wheelchair user might enjoy sex and have experience with it. Make sure all of your disabled characters have full internal worlds.

Poor sickly little Tiffany and the Red Right Hand

A big part of fictional ableism is that it separates the disabled into two categories. Anybody who’s used TVTropes would recognize the latter term I used here. But to keep it brief:

Poor, sickly little Tiffany is cute. Vulnerable. How her disability affects her life is that it constantly creates a pall of suffering that she lives beneath. After all, having a non-normative mind or body must be an endless cavalcade of suffering and tragedy, right? People who are disabled clearly spend their every waking moment affected by, and upset, that they aren’t normal!

The answer is... No, actually. Cut the sad violin; even people who have chronic pain who are literally experiencing pain a lot more than the rest of us are still fully capable of living complex lives and being happy. If nothing else, it would be literally boring to feel nothing but awful, and people with major depression or other problems still, also, have complicated experiences. And yes, some of it’s not great. You don’t have to present every disability as disingenuously a joy to have. But make a point that they own these things. It is a very different feeling to have a concerned father looking through the window at his angel-faced daughter rocking sadly in her wheelchair while she stares longingly out the window, compared to a character waking up at midnight because they have to go do something and frustratedly hauling their body out of their bed into their chair to get going.

Poor Sickly Little Tiffany (PSLT, if you will) virtually always are young, and they virtually always are bound to the problems listed under ‘failing the heartwarming dog’ test. Yes, disabled kids exist, but the point I’m making here is that in the duality of the most widely accepted disabled characters, PSLT embodies the nadir of the Victim, who is so pure, so saintly, so gracious, that it can only be a cruel quirk of fate that she’s suffering. After all, it’s not as if disabled people have the same dignity that any neurotypical and able-bodied person has, where they can be an asshole and still expect other people to not seriously attack their quality of life- it’s a “service” for the neurotypical and able-bodied to “humor” them.

(this is a bad way to think. Either human lives matter or they don’t. There is no “wretched half-experience” here- if you wouldn’t bodily grab and yank around a person standing on their own feet, you have no business grabbing another person’s wheelchair)

On the opposite end- and relevant to your question- is the Red Right Hand. The Red Right Hand does not have PSLT’s innocence or “purity”- is the opposite extreme. The Red Right Hand is virtually always visually deformed, and framed as threatening for their visual deformity. To pick on a movie I like a fair amount, think about how in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the title character is described- “Strong. Fast. Had a metal arm.” That’s a subtle example, but, think about how that metal arm is menacing. Sure, it’s a high tech weapon in a superhero genre- but who has the metal arm? The Winter Soldier, who is, while a tormented figure that ultimately becomes more heroic- scary. Aggressive. Out for blood.

The man who walks at midnight with a Red Right Hand is a signal to us that his character is foul because of the twisting of his body. A good person, we are led to believe, would not be so- or a good person would be ashamed of their deformity and work to hide it. The Red Right Hand is not merely “an evil disabled person”- they are a disabled person whose disability is depicted as symptomatic of their evil, twisted nature, and when you pair this trope with PSLT, it sends a message: “stay in your place, disabled people. Be sad, be consumable, and let us push you around and decide what to do with you. If you get uppity, if you have ideas, if you stand up to us, then the thing that made you a helpless little victim will suddenly make you a horrible monster, and justify us handling you with inhumanity.”

As someone who is a BIG fan of eldritch horror and many forms of unsettling “wrongness” it is extremely important to watch out for the Red Right Hand. Be careful how you talk about Villainous Disability- there is no connection between disability and morality. People will be good, bad, or simply just people entirely separate from their status of ability or disability. It’s just as ableist to depict every disabled person as an innocent good soul as it is to exclusively deal in grim and ghastly monsters.

Don’t justify disabilities and don’t destroy them.

Superpowers are cool. Characters can and IMO should have superpowers, as long as you’re writing a genre when they’re there.

BUT.

It’s important to remember that there is no justification for disabilities, because they don’t need one. Disability is simply a feature characters have. You do not need to go “they’re blind, BUT they can see the future”

This is admittedly shaky, and people can argue either way; the Blind Seer is a very pronounced mythological figure and an interesting philosophical point about what truly matters in the world. There’s a reason it exists as a conceit. But if every blind character is blind in a way that completely negates that disability or makes it meaningless- this sucks. People have been blind since the dawn of time. And people will always accommodate their disabilities in different ways. Even if the technology exists to fix some forms of blindness, there are people who will have “fixable” blindness and refuse to treat it. There will be individuals born blind who have no meaningful desire to modify this. And there are some people whose condition will be inoperable even if it “shouldn’t” be.

You don’t need to make your disabled characters excessively cool, or give them a means by which the audience can totally forget they’re disabled. Again, this is a place where strong worldbuilding is your buddy- a handwave of “x technology fixed all disabilities”, in my opinion, will never come off good. If, instead, however, you throw out a careless detail that the cool girl the main character is chatting up in a cyberpunk bar has an obvious spinal modification, and feature other characters with prosthetics and without- I will like your work a lot, actually. Even if you’re handing out a fictional “cure”- show the seams. Make it have drawbacks and pros and cons. A great example of this is in the series Full Metal Alchemist- the main character has two prosthetic limbs, and not only do these limbs come with problems, some mundane (he has phantom limb pains, and has to deal with outgrowing his prostheses or damaging them in combat) some more fantastical (these artificial limbs are connected to his nerves to function fluidly- which means that they get surgically installed with no anesthesia and hurt like fuck plugging in- and they require master engineering to stay in shape). We explicitly see a scene of the experts responsible for said limbs talking to a man who uses an ordinary prosthetic leg, despite the advantages of an automail limb, because these drawbacks are daunting to him and he is happier with a simple prosthetic leg.

Even in mundane accommodations you didn’t make up- no two wheelchair users use their chair the exact same way, and there’s a huge diversity of chairs. Someone might be legally blind but still navigate confidently on their own; they might use a guide dog, or they might use a cane. They might even change their needs from situation to situation!

Disability accommodations are part of life

This ties in heavily to the previous point, but seriously! Don’t just look up one model of cane and superimpose it with no modifications onto your character- think about what their lifestyle is, and what kind of person they are!

Also medication is not the devil. Yes, medical abuse is real and tragic and the medication is not magic fairy dust that solves all problems either. But also, it’s straight ableism to act like anybody needing pills for any reason is a scary edgy plot twist. 

(and addiction is a disease. Please be careful, and moreover be compassionate, if you’re writing a character who’s an addict)

3. Be mindful of cast composition

This, to me, is a big tip about disability writing and it’s also super easy to implement!

Just make sure your cast has a lot of meaningful disabled characters in it!

Have you done all the work you can to try and dodge the Red Right Hand but you’re still worried your disabled villain is a bad look? They sure won’t look like a commentary on disability if three other people in the cast are disabled and don’t have the same outlook or role! Worried that you’re PSLT-ing your main character’s disabled child? Maybe the disability is hereditary and they got it from the main character!

The more disabled characters you have, the more it will challenge you to think about what their individual relationship is with the world and the less you’ll rely on hackneyed tropes. At least, ideally.

-

Ultimately, there’s no perfect silver bullet of diversity writing that will prevent a work from EVER being ableist, but I hope this helped, at least!

[atlafan]

Juvenile and Family Law, is it something that a kid dreams of practicing? No, not really. Is that where the big bucks are if you’re not interested in taxes and wills? Yes, it is. College is expensive, and so is law school; gotta pay it off somehow. It takes a while to build your clientele, a lot of it is word of mouth. You work your way up, and slowly but surely, build a good reputation for yourself. And if you’re lucky, you’ll make partner.

Harry Styles is good at his job, and is on the brink of making partner at his firm. Gallagher, Hilson & Associates Family Law is a great place to work. Isaiah Gallagher and Maria Hilson are two incredible lawyers, and the other associates Harry works with aren’t too bad either. He doesn’t always love working nearly sixty hours a week, and some of the cases he handles have caused him to see the bottom of one too many bottles, but other than that, he’s happy.

Family Law means working all kinds of cases. Custody, spousal support, paternity, and divorce. All of those cases are messy, rarely are they clean cut. Harry happens to specialize in divorce, which in turn can lead to all of the other things listed above. What’s worse is that a lot of his clients will often flirt with him, so he’s started to wear a fake wedding band to ward off any and all inappropriate behavior. It doesn’t happen every time, but it was often enough that he decided to find a way to just avoid the unwanted attention.

Due to how many hours he works a week, Harry’s social life is a little lackluster. By the time he gets home work, all he wants to do is kick his shoes off, plop down on the couch with some greasy Chinese food, and catch up on some television. He lives in a nice enough building in the city. His apartment has one bedroom, and one and half baths. On Friday nights, he’ll go out with some of the other associates for a drink, so he gets a bitof social time in. He’s not lonely, he actually quite enjoys the quiet and solitude. He’s got a cat, Gerry, short for Geraldine that he takes care of. He has what he needs, and he’s perfectly content.

Whenever he dates, people always want to talk about his work. The last thing Harry wants to talk about after a long day at work, is more work. So, he sticks to meaningless hookups, and his own hand, when he needs that type of release.

He doesn’t have too much to complain about. He’s thirty, and massively successful. Some of his friends still live at home while working retail jobs, not that he’s judging. He was twenty-six when he moved out, and he’s grateful his parents let him stay rent free so he could save up for his own place. He doesn’t like to compare himself to others, but it makes him feel good to know he’s all set. He works hard, yes, but it’s all worth it.

//

With how quiet his personal life is, it’s hard to imagine Harry being a shark in the courtroom, but he is. He’s a master in the art of persuasion and rhetoric. Having been a communication major in his undergrad career, and all. He knows how to read a room, and how to read people. The jury is just an audience waiting to watch a live performance. His theater minor also comes in handy here. Being a lawyer is an act, a role he plays. He knows how to play the part when it’s in a large courtroom, or when it’s just a small meeting in a conference room to divide up assets. It’s not always easy, but he makes it look that way. Harry typically wins most of his cases, and when it’s something small, he’s usually able to get his client the majority of what they asked for. Every customer leaves happy.

These skills can’t all be taught and learned. Some people are born with natural talent, skills they learn to hone in on and perfect. It’s a craft that Harry has worked on for years. Again, he’s only thirty, but because he has such precision and talent, it makes him the hot commodity. The office is constantly getting calls for him. It’s why they want him to become the next partner. Having his name on the plaque as you enter would surely put people at ease. Isaiah and Maria saw potential in Harry from the beginning, and they feel lucky that he’s one of their associates.

There other very qualified associates as well, like Niall – who specializes in custody cases – he’s well on his way up. There’s Candice – who specializes in prenuptial agreements – she got into the lawyer game a little later in life, but she’s as sharp as a whip, and shouldn’t be underestimated. And lastly, there’s Byron – who specializes in paternity cases – he thinks he’s going to be the next partner because he’s a bit full of himself.

Harry and Niall are the closest in age, so they hang out more often. They both really like baseball, and will go to a game or two during the season. Candice is the surrogate mother figure. She has no children of her own, she’s the fun aunt to her nieces and nephews, but she feels oddly maternal towards Harry and Niall. The boys often call her “Ma”, instead of her actual name, and she loves it. She looks out for them, and there when they need someone to listen. She’s fifty-seven, and enjoys baking in her free time. She often brings the boys homemade muffins on Monday mornings, and they adore her for it.

Byron…well…Byron is a forty-year-old womanizer who totally clashes with Harry. Does Harry have one-night stands? Yes. Does he ever lie to his partners? No. Byron enjoys playing the game in all facets, and Harry never takes part in it. Needless to say, Harry hates when he has to partner with him on a case, and avoids it when he can.

Isaiah and Maria each have their own executive assistant, or para: Michele and Kyla. They’re both in their late twenties, and rocking it. Harry only interacts with them over email. He, Candice, Niall, and Byron all share the same administrator: Ronnie. Ronnie is twenty-six, friendly, and organized. She doesn’t have time to help everyone on their briefs, but that’s what interns are for, and there’s an abundance of them circling throughout the office.

Harry has a nice office. Plenty of natural light from the windows, he has a desk riser so he can stand up periodically, and he even has his own mini fridge. (He’s often paranoid about people taking his Bubbly, so he just brought in his own fridge.) He’s got a decent enough view of the city; he likes it best at night when the twinkling lights come through. It reminds him of how lucky he is to be where he is in life. He knows he’s more fortunate than others, so he tries to be grateful. He gives back when he’s able, donate to different scholarship funds and whatnot.

Harry is a good man.

//

On a particularly cloudy morning, Ronnie lets Harry know his 10AM consult has arrived. He didn’t know much about his new potential client, but he was always willing to hear someone out. He stands up from his desk, and waits for the woman to enter.

In walks a young woman wearing an expensive, red pantsuit, black heels, and a dark red lipstick. She gives a soft smile to Ronnie before she closes the door. Harry walks over to her, extending his hand.

“Hi, I’m Harry.”

“Mira.” She shakes his hand.

“Please, have a seat.” He gestures to the two seats on the other side of his desk and they both sit. “What brings you to my office today?”

“I heard you’re a pretty good divorce lawyer, and I need a divorce.”

“Is your spouse aware that you’re seeking counsel?”

“No.” She shakes her head and swallows. “I…I’d be putting myself in danger if he knew I wanted to leave him.”

“What kind of danger? If he’s physically abusive, then you need to- “

“He doesn’t put his hands on me like that. It’s…I don’t love him, and I never have. I was essentially…I was sold to him; it was an arranged marriage. I thought maybe I could learn to like him, to love him, but it’s been three years, and I can’t stand him. I need legal help.”

“What do you mean you were sold to him? Were you a child bride? Were you sex trafficked?”

“No.” She chews on her bottom lip. “He made a deal with my father. Thomas got me in exchange for…something. I can’t get into what exactly with you just yet.”

“Does he think you’re happy?”

“Yes.” She nods. “Well, for the most part. I do my thing, and he does his. His job keeps him pretty busy, and I often pretend to be asleep when he gets home. He doesn’t satisfy my needs, so to speak, and I’ve given up on trying. I want to be freed from him.” She pulls out a packet of paper from her purse, and gives it to Harry. “That’s a copy of the contract he and my father signed when they made the deal. I’m not great with legal jargon. I thought maybe if you decide to take me on you could look that over and tell me if there’s any way, I can get out of this.”

“Are you over eighteen?”

“Yes, well over.”

“And were you over eighteen when you were married?”

“Yes.”

“Then how could your father barter you?”

“Where I come from…it can just be like that. The goods we get in exchange for my hand outweighed my happiness.”

“I’m so sorry.” Harry frowns. “My services aren’t exactly cheap.”

“I wouldn’t expect them to be. I can pay top dollar, if that’s what you require. I have money of my own.”

“Alright.” Harry sets the packet of papers onto his desk. “I’ll take a look at that soon, and give you a call.”

“Does that mean you’re taking me on?”

“I hate to see such a nice person be so unhappy.” Harry frowns. “I got into this business to help people, so I’ll help you, Mira.”

“Oh, thank you so much.” She smiles. “There are going to be some things in that contract that may shock you, so please don’t hesitate to call me directly with your questions.” She takes out a business card from her purse. “There’s all of my contact information. If anyone other than myself contacts you regarding all of this, don’t say a word.”

“Don’t worry, I’m good at keeping things confidential.”

“I heard you’re a very trustworthy attorney.” She nods, and stands to her feet. Harry does the same. “Thank you for taking the time to listen.” She extends her hand, and he takes it to shake.

“Of course, it’s what I’m here for.” He smiles and opens the door. He watches her leave, maybe for a little too long.

[DARK SIDED, COMING TO PATREON ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2ND @ 8AM EST] [Ask]

[agustdakasuga]

You Never Walk Alone | Chapter 4

Genre: Werewolf!AU, Poly!AU?, Mate!AU, romance, fluff

Pairing: OT7 x Reader

Characters: Student!reader, Omega!Seokjin, Alpha!Yoongi, Beta!Hoseok, Alpha!Namjoon, Omega!Jimin, Beta!Taehyung, Alpha!Jungkook

Summary: You live a quiet life in your late grandfather’s cabin in the woods. You go to school just to graduate and get your diploma, not to make friends or stand out from the crowd. That was until one day, you enter your home to see a pack of wolves that need shelter.

You get closer to the wolves staying at your house. They seem to be the only ones that accept you, until a new student at school shows up. 

Jin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon, Jimin, Taehyung and Kook.

These were the names of the 7 wolves that were now sharing a living space with you. (Yes, you realised wolves may know how to read) They have been here for slightly over a week. It was hard to leave all of them at home during the first few days but you knew you could trust Jimin would keep them in place. Jimin, Hoseok and Taehyung would walk you to the bus stop every morning.

“Thank you.” You patted their heads as they stood by the edge of the forest, watching you head down to the bus stop. 

“I don’t like that she goes to school and gets bullied. She doesn’t deserve that.” Taehyung whimpered. 

“I don’t like it either but what can we do anyway?” Jimin sighed.

“Is there a way we can help?” Hoseok looked at his brothers. They turned around and went back into the forest. You sat in the bus and waited for your stop to come. 

Right now, you didn’t even want to go to school anymore. You just wanted to stay at home with the wolves and laze around rather than come here and get disturbed by the other students. Someone tried to trip you as you were going to your locker but you stepped over his leg. 

“The hell?” They whispered in annoyance. 

“Grow up.” You hissed and walked to your locker to exchange your books. 

“Someone’s got an attitude today.” Kira leaned against the lockers, arms crossed and an amused eyebrow raised. You rolled your eyes, taking your books and shutting your locker. 

“Hey, I’m talking to you!” Kira chased after you. She held your shoulder and instinctively, you slapped her hand away. 

“How dare you?” 

“Don’t touch me.” You shook your head. You backed away and quickly ran to class. Sitting down, you felt your heart racing. What was wrong with you? You rubbed your temples. Someone sat beside you and you heard gasps from the others in class. You looked up and met eyes with a very, very good looking boy. His head was propped up with his hand. 

“Umm...”

“Hi!” He greeted, his boxy smile appearing on his face. 

“Hey...?” You turned around. The other girls were obviously glaring at you for getting the attention of this stranger, unfamiliar boy. He was in the same uniform as you but you haven’t seen him before. 

“I’m new! My name is V!” He held his hand out. You looked at him in confusion, someone was definitely messing with you now. 

“Uh... hey.” You shook his hand uneasily. 

“What’s your name?” 

“It doesn’t matter... Look, you shouldn’t sit here. You can sit somewhere else.” You shook your head and turned around to face the window. There were some footsteps behind you, followed by voices. 

“Hi! You’re new right? Come sit with us. We can tell you everything about the school and show you around. You don’t have to sit here.” The girls put themselves around V’s arms. You snorted, these girls were all the same. All they want is the attention from a cute guy even if they don’t know him. 

“I’m not sitting here because I have to. I want to! Besides, I only want to sit with her. I want her to show me around.” V smiled and you turned back to face him. This guy was so weird. 

“But she’s a loser...” 

“I would appreciate you not use such harsh words towards her.” V almost growled but remembered where he was and masked it with a cough. 

“Now go.” V shooed them off and turned back to you. He stared at you with the same smile. 

“I’m (y/n).” You said softly. 

“Pretty name for a pretty face.” He complimented and you blushed. All the other girls were livid. Why was this new student so entranced by you? He only wanted to stick by you and talk to you. He never spared anyone else another glance. Even during lunch, he followed you to your locker for you to drop your books off. 

“The cafeteria is there.” You pointed. Girls were still giggling and whispering about him, pointing at him. 

“Great! Let’s go.” He smiled. 

“I don’t eat in the cafeteria. I’ll just see you in class.” You said quickly and walked away quickly, praying that he wouldn’t follow you. He almost reminded you of the wolves at home that would constantly follow you. 

V stood there in the hallway. He pouted and grabbed the lunch that Jin prepared for him from his new locker. He managed to beat the others at rock, paper, scissors to come. He wasn’t going to waste the chance by letting you distance yourself. 

With his wolf sense, he chased after you. He found you sitting under a big tree, eating your food alone. 

“Mind if I join you?” He appeared behind you. You jumped slightly, turning around and looking up to see V standing there with his lunch in his hands. You bit your lip, hoping none of his fangirls followed him. 

“I came alone.” He blurted. 

“Sure.” You nodded and turned back to your food. V sat beside you, digging into his own bento. Strangely, his food was similar to yours. 

“Where are you from V?” You asked. 

“Not far from here. I live with my brothers. We kinda move around here and there until we find a place to settle.” He explained. 

“That’s cool.” You hummed as you poked your food around. V looked at you with a soft smile on your face. These people were blind for not seeing how your amazing personality is but that may be biased just because you were their m-

“V?” You called. 

“Huh?” He broke out of his train of thought with a shake of his head. You couldn’t help but chuckle out of amusement. V reminded you of the wolf, Taehyung. Taehyung would always play around with Jimin and Jungkook but at the same time, he would enjoy time by himself. You have caught him staring into space in the backyard alone a few times. 

“Nothing. You just... remind me of someone...” You blushed. 

“You’re nice, (y/n). I would like to be friends.” V said seriously. staring into your eyes. You felt your heart race. 

“Why would you want to be friends with me? I’m a nobody, a loner, a loser.” You chuckled in disbelief. V’s heart broke as he heard you describe yourself with such hurtful words. 

“No, don’t say that. Don’t say such untrue things about yourself.” He cupped your face and whimpered sadly. You blinked at his actions. 

“Umm... Sorry!” He quickly pulled away when he noticed your stunned expression. He realised he may have been too close for a ‘stranger’ but hoped you would be scared away by him. 

“Sorry, I just don’t like it when people say such bad things about themselves.” V excused himself. 

“Thanks, V. We should go back to class now. The bell is going to ring.” You stood up and looked back at him. V grinned and pushed himself to stand up as he trailed after you. The students all looked at the two of you as you made your way through the hallways together. 

“Look at their jealous stares.” V leaned in to whisper as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders and headed into class with you for the rest of the day. 

The other 6 wolves were roaming around the house. 

“The house will be done in a few days, what are we going to do?” Jin asked the others. Yoongi yawned, rolling over on his back. 

“Either we tell her or we just leave.” He said in a bored tone. Even if he called for the wolves to meet the other day, he wasn’t exactly happy with their decision but he couldn’t outvote them. 

“I’m not going to just leave her like that.” Jimin paced around. 

“Calm down, Jimin. It’s just a discussion. Now, your pacing is giving me a headache, stop.” Namjoon said. Jimin huffed but sat his butt down. 

“I think we should tell her so us moving away won’t seem so bad. But of course, we tell her in a planned out way. Not a ‘hey, we’re actually werewolves’ and transform into naked men right in front of her.” Jungkook yawned too, draping himself over Jin tiredly. The elder rolled his eyes, struggling to get out of the alpha grip of the maknae. 

“I agree.” Hoseok voiced. 

“It’s settled then.” Namjoon nodded and they got ready to go out for their daily run. Jimin sulked in a corner, still annoyed with this morning. 

“What’s wrong, Chim?” Jin asked his fellow omega. 

“Why did Tae get to go see (y/n)? I was with her first, I should have been to one to go. But then I had to lose at stupid rock, paper, scissors.”  Jimin whined. Jin laughed, using his head to bump Jimin’s lightly. 

“I know you met (y/n) first but soon, we’ll all have to just share her, alright?” Jin comforted. Jimin nodded reluctantly. 

“Let’s go for our run.” Jin stood up and walked out. The two came out and the pack took out into the forest. They passed by their big house that was getting built. There was a room for each of them and even if their old home was destroyed, they were excited to start anew. 

The feel of the wind through their fur was exhilarating. They ran until school ended and Taehyung came back to join them while you went to work. 

“How was it?” 

“Horrible!” Taehyung howled. 

“They treat her so badly and they even tried to separate me from her. It was absolutely horrible. And when I wanted to talk to her, she was so wary of me. As if I am pranking her!” Taehyung continued. 

“Humans are so mean to one another.” Hoseok’s ears drooped sadly. 

“The way she talked about herself was so hurtful. I asked her to be friends and she asked why because she’s a nobody, a loner, a loser.” Taehyung whimpered. The other wolves couldn’t help the growl that rumbled from their chests as they heard Taehyung’s words. You were not a nobody to them, well... most of them for now. 

“What should we do?” Jimin asked.

“Rip their heads off!” Jungkook declared. 

“Okay, as much as we all want to do that, we can’t just kill humans like that. We need to think of a way that let’s us still stand by her side and protect her without having to kill anyone.” Namjoon said. 

“We leave and come back as humans.” Yoongi finally gave a suggestion. Jimin opened his mouth but Yoongi cut him off. 

“I know she’ll be sad that we leave. But we can still fill that void as human friends. Then, when she’s ready, we tell her that we were the wolves. Simple as that.” Yoongi finished. 

“Good idea.” Taehyung nodded. 

“We’ll tell her that we’re leaving then stay in our house. I mean, she already knows what Taehyung looks like.” Jin said and everyone else agreed. Taehyung noticed that Jimin walked out the back door and into the backyard. He chased after his best friend. 

“Chim, what’s wrong?” 

“I know that we’re not actually leaving her but I know she’ll still be crushed. I don’t want her to cry again. I don’t want her to feel like we abandoned her like everyone else.” Jimin’s ears dropped. 

“It’s hard for all of us. I know you’re worried but we can’t stay as wolves forever just to be by her side. She needs to know the truth someday.” Taehyung shrugged.

“When the house is done, we’ll invite her over everyday and still hang out with her. Once she knows, it’ll be easier.” Taehyung smiled. 

“I hope you’re right, Tae.” Jimin looked up. 

-

“Let’s go or we’ll be late.” The wolves all went to the bus stop to wait for you to return from work. 

“She’s here!” Your scent was close by. When you walked up, you saw all 7 wolves standing there, waiting for you. It immediately gave you energy and made you forget your tiring day. 

“The whole pack is here, huh?” You chuckled and you pet their heads. 

“I have meat from the restaurant.” You held the bag up and they barked. The 8 of you went back to your cabin and you went to put your bag in your room. The boys watched as you tied your hair up and began cooking their dinner. Jungkook came up to you and pawed your feet, whining for just a taste as you cooked the lean pork. 

“You have to wait, Kookie.” You gently pushed him away with your foot. He leaned down on his front paws, whining cutely. 

“Alright, alright.” You picked a small piece and gave it to him. Soon, there were more footsteps and you turned to see 7 wolves staring at you, their tails wagging excitedly. 

“It’ll be done soon, guys. If you keep sneaking food, there’s not gonna be enough.” You chuckled. 

“Go.” You pointed to the couch. They whined but you gave them a look, not giving in. There may be alphas but you were certainly the alpha of the house. They sadly trudged back to the couch, sitting down and watching you. 

“Dinner!” You called and they ran over. They waited for you to put their food down, a mix of meat and rice. You grabbed some kimchi for yourself but ate more of less the same thing as them. They ate the lean meat while you ate the pork belly. 

“You know, I made a new friend today. He’s really nice, a little weird but really nice.” You said as you chewed. They looked up at you. 

“You guys are messy.” Reaching out, you picked away any stray pieces of rice that stuck to their snouts with a laugh. Taehyung mentally smiled as you described him today. 

“I hope you guys had a good day too.” You ruffled Hoseok’s fur with a smile. 

After eating, you cleaned up and went to shower. You were so tired from the long day and didn’t even have the energy to do your homework but you knew you had to. You grabbed your papers and went downstairs. 

“Sorry, guys. I just thought working here may keep me awake more.” You yawned and sat down by the coffee table. 

“Hello.” You giggled as Yoongi came over and lie down next to you, resting his head on your lap. This was the first time Yoongi displayed any sort of closeness with you. But you weren’t going to harp on that. As you wrote down your work with one hand, your other was running through his soft, white fur. You noticed that he fell asleep rather quickly. 

“I know one day, you guys will have to go back. You can’t stay here forever right?” You turned to rub Jin’s ear. The wolves all looked at you sadly. 

“But can you guys visit from time to time?” You chuckled. Jungkook came up to you and nuzzled against your cheek, making you smile and kiss his muzzle. The others all surrounded you. 

“It’s biology, Joon.” You said as Namjoon rested his head on your shoulder to see the papers in front of you. 

The wolves stayed awake as you did your work, except Yoongi. Jin turned away from his conversation with Namjoon to see your head bobbing. 

“Guys.” Jin called, nodding over to you. 

“She’s asleep.” Jungkook bent down to look up at your face. They transformed and even woke Yoongi up but the white wolf didn’t transform. Namjoon carried you onto the couch as Jimin laid a blanket over you. Yoongi crawled over you, laying on your stomach. 

“Yoongi hyung.” Taehyung hissed in jealousy. Yoongi snorted and turned to face the other way. 

“Is she done with her work?” Hoseok asked Namjoon. Namjoon sorted through your papers to see that you actually finished your work before you fell asleep. Jin stacked together, keeping your stationary and putting it aside. 

“We should head to bed too. It’s late.” Namjoon said and Jimin went to turn the lights off. They all transformed back into wolves and slept around you. 

You were woken up by the sunlight streaming in. 

“Oh no!” You shot up, scaring Yoongi off you. He growled in shock while you scrambled over to your phone to see that it was already 10 am, you were so late for school. 

“Ah... I’m late.” You sighed, throwing your head back. Yoongi stood there, staring and blinking at you. 

“Sorry, Yoongs.” You reached over to stroke his head. Maybe it was the world telling you to take a break. You called in sick to work for the night as well so you could spend the day at home. The other wolves woke up from the commotion and Jimin saw the time. His eyes widened at the time and the fact that you were still in the kitchen. 

“She’s late!” 

“Relax, Chim. We all woke up late so she just decided not to go today. She called in sick to work as well.” Yoongi explained, stretching his limbs. 

“That’s good. She deserves a break.” Jungkook pointed out and the rest nodded their heads. They trotted over to you to wish you a good morning. You fed them breakfast and had some fruit for yourself. 

“Hey! That’s mine!” You scolded as Jin stole your strawberry. You hugged the bowl to your chest, turning away, only to have a wet nose bump into your cheek. 

“Gimme!” Jungkook drooled.

“No, Kookie. You all already ate.” You lightly pushed his muzzle away from you as you continued eating. 

When you were done, thanks to the wolves trying to constantly steal your food, you changed into some outing clothes. The wolves went running every day, maybe you would follow them for once. You wore your shoes and they barked at you to hurry up. 

“Alright! Go easy on me, okay?” You joked as the wolves took out. You ran behind them. Of course, they were wolves, you weren’t going to try and outrun them. You all ended up in the same big field as before. 

“It’s a good day.” You fell onto the grass. Taehyung jumped on top of you, nipping at you playfully. 

“Yoongi, don’t be a stranger.” You teased, patting the space beside you. Yoongi rolled his eyes and trudged over, sitting down. 

“Your white fur is so beautiful.” You ran your hands through. 

“I know.” Yoongi smirked, making the others glare at him. You stayed in your spot while you watched the wolves run around you and playfully tackle each other to burn some of their energy off. 

“You guys need a bath when we get home.” You shook your head. They all whined and whimpered in protest. They hated showering in wolf form. 

“Oh, come on. You’re big bad wolves, a little bath shouldn’t scare you.” You scoffed. The 7 wolves followed you back to your house and you kept them outside since you didn’t want your floors to be covered in mud. You grabbed a bucket and some dog shampoo you bought the other time. Laying everything out, you grabbed the hose by the side of the house. 

“Come on. One at a time. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go in.” You coaxed. 

“You go!”

“No, you go first!” They internally debated. Seeing as to how long they were taking, you grabbed Jimin first. 

“It’s cold!” He yelped as you sprayed water onto him. You cooed as you squirted the shampoo into your palm and rubbed the dirt off his fur. After that, you rinsed all the soap off. 

“Here’s a tow- Yah! Jimin! Stop!” You tried to shield your face away from the water droplets due to Jimin’s shaking. You laughed and wiped your face. 

“Next!” You washed each wolf until you were done. 

“Yah! Guys! Seriously!” You whined as you tried to prevent them from splashing you. Mentally, they were all laughing and smiling at how adorable you were. You gathered everything headed back into the house. 

“You guys are all squeaky clean now! Doesn’t it feel good?” You asked and they gave you a flat look. 

“Whatever, ungrateful. I need to shower.” You headed upstairs to take a warm shower. You scrubbed everything, making sure to get all the sweat and dirt off your body. Hearing the shower running, the boys decided to transform back into their human selves. 

“Ugh, hate the smell of dog shampoo.” Yoongi grunted. 

“At least we got a shower.” Taehyung shrugged. Jungkook grabbed the towel that only you used and rubbed his wet hair. 

When they heard your humming and the bathroom door close, they changed back. You made some tea for yourself and gave the wolves. You curled up against Namjoon and closed your eyes for a short nap. 

~~

Tag list

@georgie-me-myself-i​ @tatastaetaemainblog​ @dragoste-lunes​ @lil7bluedragon​ @amber-thumbs​ @greezenini​ @jisoosbitch​ @taozibun1​ @ghostkat23​ @fullvoidmoon​ @lovelyseomin​ @aclp-jb1d​ @mrcleanheichou​ @smallbaby-cat @thestrugglesofateenagedirtbag​ @veronawrites​ @hobisbeech​​ @purelyecstacy​ @hxsxxk-180294​ @bts-edits-bitch​​ @namjoonies-dimple​​ @cool-strawberry @kthsmullet​ @bubbletaetaesstuff​ @queenceline22​ @rjsmochii​ @kawaiikpoplover268​ @ervyst​ @lovelysky15​ @legendaryweaseltreedream @tea-ay-en-you​

[kcatta-wodahs]

MC Who Does Not Fear Death x OM! Demon Brothers

Or maiming, or apparently any other consequences. You’ve walked into this situation with absolutely no filter and no fear. Time to tear down every structure of Devildom society.

Lucifer

You look at him with a withering stare when he tries to intimidate you into behaving.

“I was summoned out of my trashy apartment to this place, where literally anyone could snap me like a twig on accident. I’m just working on the assumption that I’m already dead.”

He sternly looks at you. “You’re under my protection during your time here. No harm will come to you.”

You snort derisively, which visibly irritates him. “Don’t worry about it. I won’t come back to haunt you if it happens.”

As you continue through your life in Devildom he keeps calling you out for meddling and all that, like usual, and he HATES that you literally *do not care* when he threatens you.

Like HE knows that he wouldn’t hurt Diavolo’s transfer student but YOU are supposed to be AFRAID of him dammit.

His frustration at this ends up turning into a form of respect. You’re about the only person who will stand up to him, and tbh like you’re so fucking fragile but you’ll yell at him all day? That takes guts. Annoying guts. But you’ve got guts.

But also STOP IT. He has enough stress in his life and now he’s constantly terrified that you’ve decided it’s a great idea to adopt a baby balrog

Which you did once. He’s just afraid that “Flamin Hot Cheeto” is going to come back since you somehow managed to imprint on it.

despite the fact that the BABY could easily tear your arms off on accident

Not to mention he gets the flack for EVERY SINGLE ONE of these following stories. You stress him out so much. Please. Please, stop. 

He’s almost to the point of begging. The Avatar of Pride is three steps away from either locking you away for the rest of the year or begging on his knees for you to calm down. 

 But you know you’d find a way out if he locked you up so no worries. It’ll be a good challenge.

Mammon

“Well you WON’T be dead because it’s my job to protect you! Are you doubting the Great Mammon?!”

Stupid human. Yeah, you’re fragile and weak, but that’s why HE’S your bodyguard now, and there’s no way in hell (lol) that he would let you die on his watch.

Lucifer would kill him.

You welcome the challenge, and he thinks it’s funny at first but quickly becomes a flustered mother hen.

“NO, we are NOT going out to Madam Scream’s at 3am! Do ya know what kinda CREEPS are out there at 3am?!”

And you sneak out the fucking window.

He has had more heart attacks in the past week than he has had in the last 100 years of life.

He starts agreeing to your ridiculous adventures JUST because then he can actually keep an eye on you. 

He adores the chaos of the laugh that bursts from you every time you narrowly escape death. 

He HATES how often you have to NARROWLY ESCAPE DEATH. So he will never tell you.

He almost doesn’t have time for his own shenanigans anymore, because all his time is taken up by trying to make sure you stay alive.

And you’ve figured out that if you turn *any* of your ideas into a money-making one, he will join you whole-heartedly.

So you bribe him because what’s money to you anymore anyway?

Leviathan

I mean he doesn’t leave his room much, so tbh he probably just gets texts from you that make him want to scream.

‘hey uh levi say if someone were to hypothetically be stuck in a succubus’ devil basement to become an unwilling sacrifice to asmo what would that person, hypothetically, do?’

‘probably die’ is usually all he sends back

You always come back, because he always sends a text to the other brothers. In that case Asmo came to rescue you himself and scold the succubus.

You become the friend that he makes funny throwing-shade reddit posts about. (Devvit? Devil reddit? Eh??)

‘Levi so this has nothing to do with anything but is there a cure for a dangerously potent ‘always win at rock-paper-scissors' curse? Asking for a friend’

‘Friend is being held hostage tho so maybe be quick about a response’

He didn’t even know that kind of curse existed. None of them did. What the fuck did you do.

How did you get taken captive by playing rock paper scissors?

He doesn’t know. Nobody does. He expects the play-by-play so he can recommend it as a new anime to his favorite producers. 

Somehow your chaotic plans end up with stories almost as great as TSL. 

Beelzebub

He physically carries you around.

He’s like “fuck this you can’t get into trouble if I’m holding you.”

If Beel’s on MC watching duty, he’s almost the only one who is successful, just because you physically cannot get away. 

But at the same time, he is very easily bribed. 

So yes, he’ll go to Madam Scream’s with you at 3am. Sounds like fun.

But he is very protective after losing someone he cares about (who you remind him of so much….) so he keeps you close when you’re out and about too.

If you start getting into a fight with some other demon he literally just takes the fight for you and wins with no trouble at all.

You like having Beel with you.

Especially finding street festivals! You’re in a whole new world and there’s a MILLION things to try. Beel is more than happy to try them with you.

But that leads to arguments about whether deadly creatures to humans are still deadly when dead. 

“No, you can’t eat that it’s on fire. I know even small fires hurt humans. I’ll eat it for you.”

“That hot sauce makes every demon I know cry. You really shouldn’t buy a bottle. Please. No, don’t try it. No, that’s too much for one-- oh. Oh no.”

He forgives you as long as you don’t actually get hurt and you give him your leftovers.

Asmodeus

“If I get wrinkles because of you I promise you will never hear the end of it. I will curse you forever.”

He swears on every single one of his lovers that you have started giving him grey hairs.

GREY HAIRS, MC.

Why can’t you just settle down and let them all take care of you? You don’t have to prove anything to the other demons!

But you will. You’re living in Devildom now, and by everything unholy, you are going to live that life to its fullest extent.

He was thrilled at first when you were all for joining him at his nightclubs and parties. Now he hides every party’s date from you.

That time you almost threw yourself off a balcony to try and emulate a very drunk demon’s newest dance move.

“I need to stay TRENDY, Asmo!! I’ll be fine!!”

Ever since learning Demonus doesn’t affect humans you have challenged every single stuck-up tough boy to a drinking contest.

And every single time you win, Asmo has had to *narrowly* save you from being killed by said demon.

And you just say “he deserved it” every time.

And like, yeah okay, he probably did but YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO DIE.

Somehow, you manage to out-party Asmo.

dON’T TELL THE OTHERS but he lives for the times when you practically fall asleep on his shoulder while coming home from a rager. You may not get drunk, but when you’re sleepy, you’re so affectionate and something in his heart melts.

Satan

At first, Satan was all for the rebellious “life life with no restraints” thought process you explained to him.

I mean, he didn’t like the assumption that he and his brothers couldn’t control themselves to not accidentally kill you, but also… fair.

But he didn’t realize that this mindset followed through for EVERY demon in ANY place.

Including RAD, where old and wizened demons were *really* not used to being contradicted

Which led to you “accidentally insulting” your 5000 year old Human Studies professor by giving them a pop quiz on current memes (which they failed).

And left Satan as the one who had to make sure that said professor didn’t kill you. 

And the thing is, this keeps happening.

You’ve written all over the school’s library books, pointing out every error.

You *continue* to argue with the demons who threaten to kill you when you say silly things like “No, Solomon did not learn his sorcery at Hogwarts because Hogwarts isn’t REAL.”

(Solomon, meanwhile, refutes you vehemently and seems to grow three inches taller every time you glare at him.)

Satan assures you that he values knowledge and truth and all that, but could you maybe find a less dangerous way to push it?

No can do, Satan, because you already had plans with Mammon to use a curse that writes the history of the actual Sorceric Academy that Solomon attended like 400 years all over the desks in Human Studies. It’s activated by anyone saying “Hogwarts”. 

No, no, Satan, it’s brilliant, because you can’t do magic. It can’t be you who did it.

Satan, no don’t tell Lucifer.

I thought you hated him. Satan, wait. 

You are the only person in the history of ever who convinces him to come to Lucifer for intervention. You wear that badge with pride and also deep, deep, bitter sadness. 

Belphegor

Like, through the plot your willingness to be a thorn in anyone’s side just to get more information really works for Belphie.

He’s like all I gotta do is ask? Sweet. Yeah. Go, human.

But then when he’s all big and threatening and “im gonna kill you” and you just kind of look at him and nod like “yeah, this checks out.” 

Frankly, that’s rude, MC. 

And then he keeps threatening to kill you and it doesn’t even PHASE you like. You just keep listening to him rant and going “OH i think i get it now”

He liked that you were always looking for more information when he was the one pushing you around, but now?

No. Human, he is going to KILL you here, STOP ASKING QUESTIONS.

And then you do the time-travel bit, and see that he *literally has killed you in one timeline* and you just like

Shrug it off and keep talking about Lilith???????

Tbh what probably stopped him from doing it again is just that you’re fucking insane, MC 

“MC, you literally just saw yourself dead in Mammon’s arms”

You wave your hand vaguely in his direction and say, “Yeah okay, but can we talk about the lack of communication in this household because it is tearing this family apart.”

What the fuck MC

When he’s back to normal, tbh he loves that side of you. He loves getting into shit when he’s not sleeping. He will 100% encourage you and be there to make sure that you *don’t* actually die again.

He’s the only one who doesn’t actually try to stop you. Who knew he was so into chaos.

But if you try to drag him to a plan when he should be sleeping he will be like Beel and literally just hold you down while he naps dammit. You brought this on yourself. He needs sleep.

[missymurphy1985]

The Strip Club - Cillian Murphy X Female OC

A/N - Set in 2010, and I've used fictional names for his wife/children

A night out with his brother and closest friends doesn't end the way Cillian expects it to.

Warning - Smut

Taglist @queenshelby @margoo0 @being-worthy @peakyscillian @ntmynouis @janelongxox @elenavampire21 @noctvrnalmoth @ysmmsy @cloudofdisney @lauren-raines-x @namelesslosers @misscarolineshelby @screemqueen @cilleveryone

"I'm really not up for this Pad, can't we just go for a beer at the Anchor instead?" Cillian complained to his younger brother.

"You haven't been out with us in months, Dermot has had this all planned out for ages Cill, come on!" He rolled his eyes, knowing he couldn't get out of it, no matter what he said. Pulling his boots on, the two of them left the house, getting into the waiting taxi outside.

Walking into the strip club via the VIP entrance at the back, Cillian kept his head low and his brother and friends close around him so as not to be seen. Last thing he needed was photos in the press of him coming here!

"We're here for The Secret Show? Booked under Padraig Murphy?" Paddy told the bouncer, who checked everyone's ID and led them through a curtained off section at the back of the club. No cameras, no members of the public, completely private.

The boys sat around the stage area, a waitress coming over to take their drinks order. Once she returned with them, the lights dimmed and the music from the movie Burlesque began to play through the speakers. A single spotlight on a stool on the stage.

Cillian could feel his cheeks burning, he genuinely had never felt so uncomfortable in his life. He'd never been to a place like this, had always avoided them like the plague. The idea of a stripper had never appealed to him. Someone he'd never met, stripping to her underwear to please him and his drunk friends and even more cringe-worthy, his little brother, was not something he was remotely interested in.

The dancer came out, swaying her hips as she walked to the stool. Perching herself on it, legs crossed. Dressed in a black corset, short black skirt, fishnet stockings, black stiletto heels, and a black masquerade mask covering the top half of her face. Her long, silky brown hair flowing loosely down her back.

She was beautiful, there was no mistaking it. Cillian spotted Paddy nudging Dermot and whispering something in his ear and rolled his eyes. Probably something incredibly inappropriate about the young girl in front of them. He couldn't help feel sorry for her - lecherous old men creeping all over her as she danced for them, throwing money at her like she was a cheap prostitute...

The routine began. Cillian remained stoic, arms folded across his chest while the other lads cheered, louder each time an item of clothing was sexily removed from her lithe body. Her heels had been kicked off, her stockings slowly moving down her thighs, he couldn't watch any more. Standing, he made his way over to the bar to order another Guinness.

"I'd have thought you'd be over there enjoying the show with your friends?" A familiar voice from behind the bar startled him.

"Kate?"

"Long time no see," she smiled.

"Wow! Last person I expected to bump into tonight, how are you?"

"I'm okay, I see you're doing pretty well too." He nodded, his latest film, Inception, had been a box office smash. Professionally, at least, he could say he was doing well.

"Yeah, I guess so." His head lowered slightly, as Kate placed his pint in front of him.

"You guess? You okay?"

"What? Oh yeah, yeah I'm fine. Although, no disrespect? Kinda wish I was anywhere but here right now!" He chuckled. Kate smirked.

"I get off in 20minutes, fancy a walk?"

"You know what, I'll take you up on that Kate. I'll meet you outside?"

"Deal."

Thirty minutes later, after Cillian had made his excuses to his brother, he was smoking a cigarette walking along the canal with Kate at his side.

"Did you travel the world like you planned after school?" He asked, stubbing the cigarette out on the floor.

"I did, a full year of travelling before I went to university."

"Where did you go?" She told him about Australia, backpacking across Vietnam and Thailand, before heading to California for three months on a work visa.

"It was amazing. Truly wonderful. I met some great people over there. But all good things must come to an end, right?" She looked at him, and quickly looked away.

"I couldn't stand in the way of you living your dream Kate, you know that. We ended on grand terms though, right?" She linked her arm through his and squeezed it.

"We did. Promised we'd stay in touch though didn't we..."

"Yeah, I admit that was my fault. Tanya wasn't overly keen on you was she?" His ex wife. Or soon to be ex, anyway.

"I'm sorry about what happened Cill. Are you okay?"

"I'm getting there, you know? If she'd rather fuck her friend's husband instead of her own, then so be it," he smiled as much as he could.

"Well if it's any consolation, she's clearly lost her mind." She squeezed his arm again, and he found himself moving it so it was wrapped over her shoulders. He could feel her shivering and pulled her a little tighter against him.

They approached a small apartment block around 100yards further down the canal, and Kate dug her keys out of her handbag.

"Thanks for walking me home. It was good to see you again," she smiled, unhooking herself from him.

"Maybe I could - " he was interrupted by the door opening, and a younger girl stood in the doorway with a toddler in her arms.

"I'm so sorry Kate, I gave her Calpol an hour ago but I couldn't get her to settle..."

"Hey it's okay, I'll take her now. Get yourself home sis, I'll see you tomorrow yeah?" The young girl nodded, before nodding at Cillian and heading off down the street.

"Liane grew up!" Cillian laughed. The last time he'd seen her she'd still been in primary school. "And who's this little one?" He reached for the toddlers hand, grinning when she took his little finger and squeezed it.

"This is my daughter, Lily."

"Well Lily, you've certainly got your mama's eyes, haven't you?" Cillian glanced quickly at Kate's left hand.

"Her Dad isn't around Cill, I'm not married." He bent his head down. Busted.

"Then am I allowed in for a coffee at least?"

"If you don't mind sharing me with a teething baby, then yes, you can come in!" Kate led him through and fetched the teething granules from the cupboard and a teething ring from the freezer. Cillian offered to take Lily while she prepped a cup of warm milk for her.

Seeing him bounce her on his arm made her smile.

"Reminds me of Jack and Niamh when they were teething. Had to be moving around, constantly needed distraction. You okay if I take her a walk around after? See if I still have the magic touch?"

Kate nodded, and took her back to give her the nurofen, teething granules, followed by her sippy cup of warm milk. Once she'd finished, Cillian offered his arms out for her. She reached up for him, surprising Kate as she normally shied away from strangers, and off they went around the apartment. She watched from a distance as he took her around, showing her the ornaments on the window ledge, her reflection in the mirror, bouncing her up and down as she giggled lightly.

After around fifteen minutes, he made his way over to the radio in the kitchen, fiddling with the buttons before he found the station he was looking for. Soft, gentle classical music played through the speakers. He turned the volume down so it was barely audible, and leaned Lily into his shoulder, rocking her side to side gently. She nuzzled into his neck, Kate watching, smiling, as her baby's eyes grew heavier. She could feel past feelings coming back as she watched them. As much as she'd pretended losing him when he left University to pursue his acting career was fine and she had gotten over it, she never had. And now, bumping into him again all these years later, those feelings were coming back with some force.

Lily was snoring gently in his arms now, and Kate gently took her from him. Taking her into a small room at the back of the apartment. Coming out ten minutes later and closing the door as quietly as possible.

"I'd say you still have it Cill," she laughed, switching the baby monitor on in the corner of the living room where he sat on the sofa, two glasses of red wine in front of him. "You read my mind."

She sat next to him, clinking her glass with his.

"Did you meet her Dad while you were travelling?" He asked, after taking a sip.

"Yeah.. he erm.. he died not long ago. Cancer."

"Shit I'm sorry... Oh Kate that's awful..."

"No it's okay.. it was just a brief fling you know, we weren't together or anything. But it's sad for her. She'll never have that father figure. Just me and her against the world now." She felt his fingers brush her hair out of her face and gently down her cheek. Turning to him, she put her glass down on the table and turned to face him. He placed his down too, and moved closer.

Their faces centimetres apart, she could feel his warm breath against her own.

"I should probably go..."

"Again?" She whispered. She didn't want him to leave her again, as much as he had no intention of actually leaving. Their lips met, a kiss that was fifteen years overdue.

"I haven't spent a day not thinking about you, Kate..." He smiled, pulling away.

"You mean that, or are you just looking to get your end away?"

"Which is why I'm going to kiss you now, and go home. But I want to see you again. If I can?"

"And what if I don't want you to go home..." She kissed him again, this time straddling her legs over his thighs on the sofa. Even if this was a one night stand for him, she needed him, and he wasn't getting away this time.

"Then I'm not going home." His hips rose to meet hers, gyrating over his erection under his jeans, both of them removing each others clothes in record time until they were left in just their underwear.

"My god, you're incredible... Let me taste you..." He flipped her onto her back on the sofa, spreading her legs and placing gentle kisses along the inside of her thighs. His fingers teasing against her underwear, softly caressing her mound, before sliding a finger inside and groaning at how wet she was already.

"Cillian please...." She almost whimpered underneath him, her hips squirming against his lips and fingers. He pulled her underwear down her legs, and unceremoniously threw them across the room before moving his lips to her open slit, drawing his tongue slowly up and down her folds. Her hand flew to her mouth, stifling the cry of ecstacy within it so as not to wake Lily.

"You need to be quiet, you're not going to want me to stop once I've started Kate..." He smirked, before attacking her clit with his mouth, drawing it between his lips, rolling his tongue over it, increasing the pressure. His fingers pressing into her thighs, surely leaving bruises, as his mouth worked magic on her, her hips rocking against him.

"Oh god... That's so good, please don't stop..." Her words coming out in breathy little moans as her orgasm built quickly. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him where she needed him. Two fingers suddenly entered her, making her gasp as they found the small bundle of nerves deep inside her, pushing and rubbing against it hard, matching his motions against her clit. Suddenly his mouth was off her, his fingers pumping into her, the palm of his hand pressed against her clit now as he moved his body up, his lips now pressed to hers. The taste of herself on him turned her on further, and she could feel herself letting go.

"Cum for me..." He whispered in her ear, sending her over the edge with a small cry into his shoulder, her body writhing against him. His fingers removed, replaced with his now solid cock as it pushed inside her quickly, picking up the same pace his hands were, hard and fast thrusts as he hooked her leg up under his elbow, forcing himself deeper.

Her nails scraped over his shoulders as she buried her face into his neck, frantic thrusts against each other, fifteen years of buried feelings coming out of them with a force that took her breath away.

"Yes... God yes..." Her moans into his neck drove him wild, her walls contracting around him pushing him closer. He could feel another orgasm building inside her, and angled his thrusts to hit that magical spot inside her perfectly.

"I'm so close Kate... So fucking close, you feel so good around me..."

"Cum inside me Cillian, please..." He grunted against her ear, nibbling on it gently as his hips pounded into her relentlessly now. Reaching his high, he flooded her, spilling inside her with a deep groan into her neck, sending her into her second orgasm, her legs wrapping tightly around his back pulling him even deeper inside her as she felt his cock pulsate, emptying into her.

He rested his forehead against hers, both of them panting, smiles forming as they looked into each others eyes.

"You're on the pill, right?" He chuckled, coming back to his senses.

"No." He lifted his head quickly.

"What?" She started to giggle, grinning at him.

"I'm on the coil, you're fine, don't worry!" He rested his head back into her neck, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Good to hear. I think three kids between us is enough for now, don't you?"

"What do you mean, for now?"

"I made the biggest mistake of my life leaving you Kate, I'm not planning on doing it again," his lips gently kissed the side of her neck, running the tip of his nose along her jawline softly.

He pulled out of her with a groan, taking her hand and leading her into her bedroom - he'd clocked which one it was earlier that evening.

Kate smiled watching him grow hard again, knowing not much sleeping was going to be done once they got in there...