#seriously though one person got a little mad at an ask before and i’ve never been the same since

[mkaroy]

no matter WHAT i’ll ALWAYS ask anon questions like i’m sorry but what if i’m being rude in a question or it comes off as too forceful or inconsiderate or i’m just plain wrong like that can’t be on my record so i just always ask anonymously.

[fruitsoxs]

can we get some jealousy blurbs for astarion and/or gale?

Of course!! I love a good jealousy blurb

pairings; astarion x reader , gale x reader warnings; none notes; I was pumped up about this request i did it within a day lol. also rolan mention because i love him

Astarion

When you’ve got a little tadpole in your head that could very well be the end of you, little things like jealousy should be the least of your worries. Yet, here Astarion stands with one arm crossed over the other, pouting at the scene in front of him. He watches as his partner frets over another man who seems to keep showing up on their journey. Of course he should’ve known Rolan would be here at this stupid magic store that Gale so desperately wanted to visit. Astarion had heard you talk about how the tiefling was planning on becoming an apprentice for Lorrokoan. Pity that the grand wizard had turned out to be such a massive asshole. Yes it’s horrible he was mistreating Rolan (Astarion could always sympathize with any poor soul who suffers at their master’s hands). However, that doesn’t warrant you leaning in so closely to the man to look at his bruises. It doesn’t mean you can smile so fondly at him-

It takes you laughing at something Rolan said while the man stares at you softly before Astarion has had enough. The vampire clears his throat rather loudly, grabbing everyone’s attention. Once you are looking at him he opens his mouth to say “Shouldn’t we get going? We’ve been in this dreaded place too long.” Your smile drops as you tilt their head, giving Astarion a confused look. Astarion simply looks away. He knows it’s petty, but he doesn’t care. Getting the hint, you nod. “I guess it’s time we get out of your hair Rolan.” you express.

Rolan's smile falters, but he nods in understanding. “I do have a lot of work to do now. Of course, if you should ever need my assistance, just call for me. I’ll lend my magic in any way that I can.” the magic user tells you. Astarion huffs and starts to walk away. He knows full well Rolan’s help would be useful, especially with the coming battle you must fight. Once again though, he doesn’t care. There’s something about this situation that has made him feel uncomfortable, and he’s quite mad about it. 

When you finally exit the massive building, Astarion’s anger subsides. He feels himself grow a little ashamed by his outburst. He wraps his arms around his chest and stops. You stop with him, locking onto his gaze with a sense of curiosity. The others have kept going, opting to give the two of you a little privacy.  

“Were you jealous? Of Rolan?” You ask seemingly humored by the entire ordeal. Astarion wants to deny it. After all, he’s never been one to care much about what you do- and who you do it with. Despite being in a romantic relationship with you, he doesn’t own you. He loves you, and he knows you love him. You’ve proved it time and time again. That should be enough. For some reason though, this situation has deeply upset him. “And what if I am?” he asks defensively, sending a glare that looks more like a pout. 

“I’ve never known you to be the jealous type.” You joke, smiling. When you notice the seriousness in Astarion’s eyes, your grin drops. “You’re serious?” you ask, inching closer. The vampire doesn’t need to say anything, his expression explains it all. You simply reach out and put your hand on his arm. You do it slowly, giving Astarion a chance to pull away if he wants. “Star…” you whisper, eyes meeting his. “You are the most important person in my life. Never forget I love you. So much.” 

He knows this, but hearing you say it makes his negative emotions melt away. “And besides, you don’t need to be jealous of Rolan. Yes, I worry about him- but we’ve saved him so many times it’s hard not to.” you sigh, shaking your head like a worried parent. A small smile makes its way onto Astarion’s lips. “Bad luck does seem to follow him.”

Gale

Gale has had a rough few months. After being ripped from his home, given a tadpole in his head, and forced to adventure with a bunch of …colorful people, he’s been craving one good thing. He didn’t expect that one good thing to be the fearless leader of his adventure party, you. Along the journey, you showed the man you had a great heart. Your habit of saving others, and doing the right thing made Gale swoon. He hadn’t expected to meet such an amazing person during such a trying time. Somewhere along the way, the wizard had fallen for you and your kind hearted nature. The only problem? Sometimes you were a bit too kind.

Gale’s smile fades as he watches a man strut his way over to you, confidence in every step. After finally making your way to Baldur’s Gate, your party had decided stopping at one of the taverns to grab a drink wasn’t such a bad idea. The circumstances may be dire, but taking a little time to relax is important. That’s how you ended up here, with a bunch of people following your tail. Gale had severely underestimated how many drunkards would have the guts to hit on someone like you. Now, his mind is swimming with that funny little green monster known as jealousy. 

“So, do you come here often?” The stranger asks you, leaning against the bar between you and Gale. Gale wishes just this once you would get angry, and react in a way unbecoming of you. Of course you don’t. You simply smile at the man and shake your head. “No. Not really.” you answer, aura radiating with kindness. “Well then, allow me to fund your next drink.” The man’s speech is slurred, clearly egged on by the alcohol in his system. 

Gale watches the scene on the other side of the man, his eyebrows lifted in a way that makes him look like a kicked dog. When you don’t deny the drink, Gale feels his chest grow tighter. The thing that made him fall for you, is the thing he hates most right now. He hates that feeling. After all, it’s his fault he has yet to confess his feelings. He finds himself turning away, glancing at his drink with uncertainty. What should he do? 

“Hey…maybe after this we could go out back-”

Gale snaps his head back over to the man. “No.” he says out loud cutting the man off. Suddenly fueled by anger, he stands up, walks over to you, takes your hand and begins to pull you away. You stumble along behind him, but don’t pull form his grasp. He leads you away from the confused man at the bar, and outside into the cold air. Once he stops, he turns to look at you. You don’t seem angry, just a little confused. 

“Is everything okay Gale?” you ask. You seem a little concerned, and it makes his heart twist.

“I- No. Everything is not okay. I just...I’m..” he groans, unable to fully express what he’s trying to say. He doesn’t want to confess like this. He wants it to be romantic, not awkward and uncomfortable. “I do not like watching people take advantage of your kindness.” He decides to say.

You smile at him, and squeeze his hand. The hand he forgot is holding yours. “Thank you Gale.” you mumble. You then lean forward, and before he knows it you’re pressing your lips against his cheek. “That’s very kind of you.”

His cheeks heat up, a dumb smile stretching across his lips. “Anything for you.”

[hockeygossipunhinged]

i think that persons “7 minutes in heaven” comment was cause girls who’ve hooked up with him have said he didn’t last long i believe theirs a tik tok of some podcast guys talking about one of their girlfriends hooking up with him around 2019 saying he only chatted with her through snapchat and when doing the deed made her go to a hotel room and apparently only lasted a couple minutes

but to everyone whose been asking how he is in bed i personally don’t know(im a lesbian) but im friends with a lot of your typical sorority girls and this is what i’ve heard through the grape vine about him and this is all allegedly

- used to be your typical fuck boy (empty promises, says sweet things that he doesn’t mean) one of those kinda boys but he did it to the wrong girl who’s mom knew his mom and ellen had a serious talking to him about his actions

- is really into boobs like really into them

-likes the chase he likes girls who want nothing to do with him but at the same time loves girls who are obsessed with him you’re typical puck bunny

-apparently had a threesome with another hockey player with a blonde who’s married to some basketball player now

-has a problem with liking other girls posts apparently a girl he was hooking up with threw a drink at him due to him liking a girls post that she doesn’t like but i don’t really believe that cause i feel like we’d have seen a video of it already

-when flirting with a girl he’ll make little sexual jokes to make them life as we saw in his “motivation speech” to the beach volleyball girls

-is scarily charming

-this one i don’t really believe because how could a brother do this to their siblings but i’ve heard it from separate people is sometimes he’ll flirt with the girls his brothers are into or girls that are into his siblings and it has cause several arguments and caused luke to be insecure when it comes to girls and kinda shut off towards them in fear they’ll just leave him for his brother

-apparently doesn’t last long in bed but is very cocky when it comes to all the hot girls he’s had in bed

-this i heard from a guy is that he got really drunk and was showing his list of girls he’s slept with and apparently it had almost 50 names on it(but the guy who told me has a problem with over exaggerating his stories so could have been lower)

-he’s one of those drunks who say has no filter and just wanders around and then gets lost i saw what i believe matt beniers chasing after him on the street and almost took a dog out tryna catch up to him

-i’ve heard that quinn’s his favorite and try’s not to do anything to piss him off when he dose he’s always the first to apologize and hates when he’s mad at him but according to people it’s very easy to piss quinn off

-isn’t good when it comes to kissing (but i’ve kissed this girl before and she wasn’t either💀) but according to her it wasn’t enough need like she didn’t feel any butterflies when he was pressing up against her and didn’t give enough time of regular kissing before sticking his tongue in her mouth

-as his size i heard 4,5,and 6 inches so average i assume

This is all allegedly so jack super fans don’t get mad all of these are rumors please don’t take them seriously

First off I want to apologize to that one anon who sent the first message about the 7 minutes in heaven. I’m sorry that I read your message the wrong way I didn’t know what you were talking about.

Also I’ve heard a lot about this. I think most of it is true. I also know through a friend that he was heavily flirting with her and she had a big butt but small boobs like acups 😂 and he was literally obsessed. He was drunk and kept grabbing her butt apparently. Really funny.

Never heard of the Quinn/luke stuff before. I do know Luke’s quiet and reserved more than Jack and Quinn.

Honestly I think the hotel thjng is true just bc even though the guy was mad Jack got the girl he was interested in. Some parts of the story seemed real like only having the girl there for a while.

[salvatwh0re]

Hey girl! you explained really well why you think affirming for others won’t help but i honestly think that if you were to affirm for me/your followers, i personally would enter regardless

also you did say that you are now wanting to help others enter the void so, that’s going to happen but if i just may add in a lil bit of suggestion, maybe you could ask us to do a couple of things like a routine and affirm that “who ever follows this routine will enter the void regardless of everything in all realities”

i think it could be fun and a nice experience/experiment cause a blogger had done this before and had many success stories! like girl if you come up with something today i’m down to do it and share my success story with you right after cause i’m that confident it would work you know?

if you enter the void easily and instantly and could be down for this, i’d be so grateful for you giving this a chance, it’s worth a try imo

(as for others who can’t enter just yet cause of their mindset or something, we know you’ve got their backs too, cause you are starting a challenge soon right so they can work on their mindset and tap in the void then!)

i know mostly everyone presses on this individualist approach that you should be the one entering on your own account but i think we all go to help when it’s required, we go to the doc when we are sick, we go to tarot readers when we need a bit guidance and etc

tldr: we go to certain experts for their advice/help when it’s required! we live in a society and we rely on others for a bit of support every now and then!

and as for me i know that you entering the void and affirming for us would be a boost that could help me enter and be done with my terrible 3D circumstances once and for all so why not try!! i’m sure many people could relate w this and be so grateful for your help too

i have been trying for the void since years atp so i just know your help could seriously change this not just for me but a lot of people who are in the same boat pretty much. Could try it as a lil experiment and then go back to your challenge of course and what you have been planning! I really hope you give this a thought! Thank you!

(also you’re really really pretty btw!!!!) and i wanna go to machu picchu too!!!

Hii! omg this was a whole persuasive essay 😱

I must say you’re very good at writing lol. I actually didn’t want to mention this just yet but since you brought it up, i have seen that blogger and was very much inspired by it (hence why i’m starting a challenge). Also my subliminals too are a part of the experience.

I know it’s not my place to decide for yall, but i know that you will very much appreciate entering on your own. I’m always here to help, and i know it’s frustrating not seeing any movement after years of trying (trust me i’ve been there). But believe me when i tell you you’re gonna be so mad at yourself when you realize just how easy tapping into the void state is. Like genuinely im not even saying this because i do it all the time now. When i first tapped in and manifested everything, I got out and felt like the biggest dummy ever (not calling yall dumb btw 😭).

The point is, yall are simply just over complicating it and i’m actually so upset that it took me so many years to realize just how easy it is cause i could’ve had my dream life a long time ago and I wouldn’t have had to go through what i went through.

With my challenge (i promise it’s coming out sooner than you expect just bear with me 🙏🏽) you’ll definitely start realizing that on your own, with a little help on my end of course. What i don’t want to do, and will not do is all the work for you. Even though it doesn’t require much work on your end, the eye opening and truly awakening experience of finally pushing through was honestly the most humbling and beautiful experience ever. Like i will honestly never take anything for granted again because i’m just so grateful that i have the ability to manifest anything I want now.

When you’re first starting out you always think about it as an escape or like “I can have anything I want”. But once you actually do and you’re able to go about life and actually enjoy it with no worries whatsoever it’s just so amazing, I have no words for it.

But like i said in one of my other posts, some things in life are worth working/fighting for, and although the void state is truly the simplest thing ever (i blame tumblr and shiftok for overcomplicating it), i believe it’s one of those things that you need to experience and go through on your own cause it truly is such a personal and intimate journey with yourself. I’ve learned so much about myself on a spiritual level like honestly i cannot even express it in words.

I know some of you guys have been trying for months and even years (i was in your shoes once too, before i tapped in i was 2.5 years in) but follow through with my challenge, don’t give up on yourself and i promise you every thing will change for the better!

So again to answer your question, yes I am absolutely doing that, just in my own way. It might be frustrating to hear (i would know i hated when people would say this when i was struggling but in the end im grateful for it), but you honestly need to do this for yourself. I don’t know any of you personally and no matter how much you tell me about yourself and your circumstances i will never truly understand you or have your same perspective on life, so in reality you the only person who can truly help you is yourself. Look within first before you go outside of you for help. For some of you, you’ve already tried everything and I understand your frustration but also have some patience with yourself.

I promise you won’t be disappointed with my challenge ( it is being very carefully crafted, also i’m just having so much fun making it!)

I hope this answer was satisfactory for you! if there’s anything else you wanna suggest that i add to my challenge go right ahead! But again in short; my answer is yes :)

[book-place]

Panel Chaos

Warnings: none (I think), let me know if I missed any :)

Pairings: Jared Padalecki x reader platonic, Tom Holland x reader platonic, Jensen Ackles x reader platonic

Request: Hey there again! I had another idea for a request like Tom Holland meeting Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles bc I feel like they give the same energy:)

Request by: @theslayerofthevampires

*not my gif*

Summary: Your co-star meets your other co-stars

A/N: I didn’t really know how to end it- sorry!!

Please don’t plagiarize my work, you may reblog if you like but I’m asking that you don’t steal my hard work

“-so, yeah, I’d say there’s lots of pranks going around on set.” You snickered into the microphone.

To each side of you, your co stars began sobering up after the cackling that had taken place at the story you just told in response to a fan question.

The panel was going smoothly, Comic Con once again a success in your eyes as you sat in between Jared and Jensen for your last interview of the day.

You played their younger sister in the show, Supernatural, for the past four seasons now, and it was safe to say that you loved working on that show with your whole heart. The actors just made it even better.

All of a sudden, before another person could move to ask a question, the whole crowd let out one large, collective gasp that had your eyebrows furrowing in confusion along with Jensen and Jared’s.

“What? What is it? Is something on my face?” You hurriedly began swiping at your forehead with the back of your hand.

Then, everything went dark and you let out a small shriek of surprise. Someone had covered your eyes.

“Guess who,” A british voice you knew all too well floated through your ears.

“Tom!” You squealed in pure joy, leaping from your seat- practically dropping your microphone in the process- and turning around to give the man a large hug.

Several ‘awes’ of adoration sounded through the crowd at the action.

You pulled away from the brunette man after a moment with a large grin, “What’re you doing here?”

He smiled back, “A little birdie told me that you had a panel going on right now. My interview just got out so I asked around with some of the staff and they said it would be fine to drop by for a moment.”

Tom Holland was most famously your co-worker in various marvel movies that you starred in as Peter Parker’s sister, and you hadn’t seen the man in over five months due to conflicting work schedules.

“You gonna introduce us?” Jared’s voice filled the area and you could practically hear the teasing smile behind it.

“Right,” You spun around to face the two of them, as well as the rest of the crowd, while some staff brought out an extra seat and microphone for the man, “Guys, this is Tom. Tom, this is Jared and Jensen.”

“Hey, man,” Jensen greeted, shaking his hand, “Good to meet you.”

“You as well,” He answered back politely, “I’ve heard many things about the two of you.”

“All good things I hope.” Jared hopped it.

Tom slowly turned with a mock awkward look towards the audience, leading them to roar with laughter, you and the others joining along with giggles of your own.

“No, seriously though, of course I’ve heard some great things.” He chuckled a little bit when he rephrased.

Jared pressed his lips together, acting as if he was mad, “I can’t say the same about you.” Before dramatically whipping his head to face the other way.

The crowd was going crazy.

Through the bright lights, you could squint and see people that were doubling over in laughter that never seemed to end.

“So,” Jensen spoke into a mic, a wicked grin on his face, “I heard that you and Y/n, have been working together for years… any embarrassing stories you have about her?”

Your eyes widened and you quickly flew from your seat and slapped a hand over Tom's mouth, “No!” You shrieked, “No! No stories!”

The poor crowd hasn’t seemed to have caught their breath once since Tom appeared on stage.

You threw a glare in Jensens direction, “Not funny.” You said through gritted teeth.

He just laughed though, knowing it was all for show.

Finally, you relinquished your hold on Tom and wagged a warning finger in his face, “Don’t you dare, Mister. Or I’ll call your mother.” You threatened.

His eyes widened, no doubt with real horror this time, “You wouldn’t.”

“I would.” You crossed your arms determinedly over your chest.

“She does the same thing to us,” Jared gaped.

“Always threatening to call our wives.” Jensen continued.

All three men shuttered in sync.

[babygirl-diaz]

My Emotions Are Naked (Buddie Fanfic)

Summary:

Eddie doesn't know how long he has had feelings for Buck. But when he meets a guy named Alex and starts dating him, he figures that maybe he is over Buck, but it's never that easy, is it?

Chapter 1

It was the 16th of June, exactly 6 months and 21 days after they started dating that Marisol broke things off with Eddie. And 6 months and 21 days later, Eddie felt like he could finally breathe. Marisol was beautiful, kind, smart, and most importantly had the seal of approval from his Abuela, and that’s why Eddie stayed with her, even though he knew that they just weren’t meant to be. It was also around that time when he realized that he may have feelings for someone else. But he wasn’t ready to open that can of worms yet. Marisol wasn’t mad when she broke things off with Eddie. If anything, admitted that she always knew there was someone else. In the end, she gave him a hug and a gentle kiss on the cheek, followed by, “I hope you and Vanessa are happy together,” before heading out, leaving Eddie very confused. Vanessa. Right. Marisol thought Eddie was in love with Vanessa. 

“She what?” Vanessa laughed that loud, obnoxious laugh of hers when Eddie called her after dropping Chris off at school. Chris understood or at least he tried to understand why Marisol broke things off with Eddie. He was sympathetic. He gave him a look that said he wanted to say more, but instead, he shook his head, said his goodbye, and headed to class. 

 “She- she thinks you’re in love with me?”  Vanessa just couldn’t stop laughing and, frankly, it was pissing Eddie off a little. 

“Vanessa-” Eddie said as a warning. 

“Sorry, sorry, it’s just hilarious to me that Marisol thinks you’re in love with me,” Vanessa replied. “I mean, she was with you for 6 months and she couldn’t see that you’re so hopelessly in love with-” 

“Don’t” Eddie quickly cut her off. “Please don’t.” 

“Okay.” Vanessa finally got serious. “Eddie, you do know that there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that-” 

“‘Ness I’d rather not talk about it,” Eddie told her. 

“Then why did you call me, Eddie? If you weren’t ready for some cold hard facts?” Vanessa asked. 

“I called because you’re my friend and I needed someone to talk to,” Eddie replied. 

“Well, if you needed someone to coddle you then you should have just gone to Buck,” Vanessa told him. “I’m not here to do that for you.” 

“Fine, I’m hanging up then,” Eddie huffed. 

“Don’t let me stop you, Eddie.” 

Eddie could almost feel Vanessa rolling her eyes on the other end. He paused for the longest time before saying, “I’m not in love with him. I can’t be.” 

“Why?” Vanessa asked with pity in her voice that made Eddie cringe. “Because your family thinks it’s wrong?” 

“I don’t wanna talk about this, ‘Nessa.” Eddie sighed as he parked in his spot at the firehouse parking lot. “I have to go. I’ll talk to you soon. Say hi to Joaquin for me.” 

“Oh yeah, Joaquin and I broke up,” Vanessa said unsympathetically. 

‘Seriously?” 

“Don’t judge,” Vanessa warned him. “I didn’t judge you or the fact that you’re in love with your best friend.” 

“Vanessa!” Eddie groaned 

“Okay, byeee…” With that, she hung up. 

Eddie sighed and got out of the truck. He waited a few seconds, just taking in some fresh air before he headed inside. The last person he wanted to see was the first one to spot him. 

Buck came over to him, and he did not look too pleased. 

Eddie immediately put up a front and smiled at Buck. “Hey, Buck. How’s it going?” 

“How’s it going? I’ve been calling you since last night!” Buck said moving his hands around. “I got a concerning message from Marisol, telling me to make sure you didn’t do anything reckless. What the hell is going on?” 

Eddie groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “She had no right,” he said annoyed. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. 

“Eddie, what’s wrong? Talk to me.” Buck gave him his pleading puppy dog eyes. 

“Marisol broke up with me,” Eddie blurted out. 

Buck looked taken aback by Eddie’s admittance. “Oh,” he said before his features softened and a sympathetic look crossed his face. “Eddie, I’m so sorry.” 

“Don’t be,” Eddie told him. “It was a long time coming.” 

“Really?” Buck looked taken aback again. “I thought you two were going strong.” 

Eddie wanted to laugh humorlessly at that. Who could possibly think that Eddie and Marisol were going strong? “Well, we weren’t.” 

“Can I ask what happened?” 

Eddie sighed, crossed his arms, and shrugged. “We just weren’t working out anymore.” 

Buck assessed Eddie’s face, making Eddie squirm under his gaze. “Eddie, is there someone else?” 

Eddie’s heart skipped a beat and suddenly an irrational fear took over him as he wondered if Buck could read his face. “No! There isn’t someone else, Buck. Do you really take me for someone who would cheat on their girlfriend?” He was a little hurt that Buck would even ask him that. 

“Eddie, that’s not what I meant. I don’t think you cheated on your girlfriend,” Buck assured him and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry if it came across that way.” He searched Eddie’s eyes when Eddie averted his. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I am,” Eddie replied honestly. 

There was a long pause before Buck said, “Okay. Do you wanna hang out tonight? You, me, Chris?” 

Eddie huffed out a laugh. “Even I barely get to see Chris these days. He’s so busy with his friends.”

“Okay, what about you and me then?” Buck asked in a hopeful voice. 

Eddie’s heart ached. He wanted nothing more than to say yes but, truth be told, Buck was the last person he wanted to spend time with right now. “Not tonight, Buck.” Eddie immediately felt guilty when he saw the sad look that fell over Buck’s face. “How about over the weekend?” 

Buck perked up at that. “Yes! Weekend sounds great!” He said. “I’ll make you some killer cocktails that will make forget all about your breakup.” 

Eddie couldn’t help but smile at that. “I’ll take you up on that.” 

Read the rest on AO3

((Thank you @sarastars for RPing this plot with me! Really helped build my confidence to write it!))

[k1ngdom-of-thieves]

If requests are actually still open, can I request a scenario with the dorm leaders (you can remove riddle and kalim if those are too many characters (ง'̀ -'́)ง) with a reader who is very persistent and has an obvious crush on them?

Basically the reader likes to shower the characters with attention, praise, gifts, and/or little notes in the hopes that itll sway the dorm leaders into liking them back but after being rejected time and time again, they sorta back off and cool it a bit? Like they don’t ignore them, just that they’re not pursuing them anymore and the dorm leaders end up realizing that they like them back? Or soemthing like that

Preferably something Angst to fluff, but you can take this in any direction you see fit! I’m sure your writing will turn out great regardless!! ≧✯◡✯≦

Thank you for waiting for me to get to this request!!

Dorm Leaders + Reader that stops leaving gifts

Riddle Rosehearts

Riddle was confused by the little gifts and trinkets you left by his desk before class or would just hand to him on a random occasion. They would always have a little note that had a dorky pickup line but he never took them too seriously.

After a while, Riddle noticed the amount of gifts were decreasing and so were the frequency of you giving them to him. He was starting to miss the cheeky smile you gave him every time you’d slide him a little note. Even if he did scold you for it at the time.

When you stopped giving gifts altogether, Riddle thought it best to ask you straight up why. He wasn’t going to admit that he liked the affection you gave him though, not now anyway.

You explained that you stopped with the gifts because you thought that he was upset by them and you didn’t want him to be upset with you. He quickly responded saying that he wasn’t mad at the gifts, he was mad that you were likely breaking a rule to give it to him. In fact, he realized that being mad was the farthest thing from his mind.

“I’ve realized that I enjoy getting your little gifts and hearing the jokes that come with them. Why are you laughing? I’m being serious with my emotions here!”

Leona Kingscholar

Leona never responded when you showered him with praise or handed him gifts. He’s used to people trying to butter him up to get something in return. He simply thought it was one of those feeble attempts at gaining his favor.

When you stopped doing these things however, he started to get irritable at their absence. He wanted to see you walk up with a cheesy one-liner and leave him with a small note before leaving. He wanted to hear how you told Grim your next plan on getting him to fall for you like he wasn’t four feet away. But all he got was quiet greetings and leavings.

He questioned you about it very soon after. He would never say it to your face, but he kind of missed the unique attention you’d give him at certain points of the day. He wanted you to keep talking with him during his naptime that’s a big deal dude.

You told him that you thought he was getting tired of you. He scoffed and told you if you were getting on his nerves, he would’ve told you already.

“Listen herbivore, I wanted you next to me because I like you. Even with the corny one-liners. Alright? So don’t go changing because of what you’d think I like.”

Azul Ashengrotto

Azul was amused by the attention you gave him, although he didn’t believe that the words you gave him were genuine. He thought you were just trying to get to him in order to find out about they way he ran the business or just to mock him personally. So he kept you at an arms length to keep himself safe.

When you first started to stop giving him gifts and complements, he thought you were finally getting tired of him. It was a thought that broke his heart, as much as he tried to ignore that fact. Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore and decided just to ask you why you stopped.

When you said that you thought he didn’t want you around, he was completely blindsided. All this time he thought it was you who got bored of him but really, you had thought he was tired of you.

Immediately he tried to fix what he had done. He didn’t want you to leave him completely, he had grown too attached to your voice, your laugh, the silly jokes you shared and the tiny gifts you gave him. You even remembered he collects coins.

“Hold on, I never stated that I didn’t like you. In fact, I’ve started to miss your company at the lounge. Please consider coming back to us, or at least just me.”

Kalim Al Asim

Kalim didn’t really pay all that much attention to your behavior and gifts, he just thought this was how you acted normally. He was still happy to give you gifts in return and laugh at your jokes.

He noticed fairly quickly when you started to stop treating him the same as usual. Poor guy was worried that he did something to make you mad or tired of him.

He went up to you pretty soon after that. No use just trying to wait it out right? Kalim asked if he had hurt you in any way and was shocked to hear that you thought he was getting bored of you.

Kalim was desperately trying to tell you that I wasn’t true. That he loved your funny remarks, the tiny trinkets you gave him that he puts on his nightstand he didn’t say that last part, and the fact that you were willing to chat with him for hours.

“Please don’t change how you treat me! I don’t know what I did to make you think that but I promise I’ll never do it again!”

Vil Schoenheit

Vil didn’t have much of a reaction towards your behavior, he was a famous model after all. He simply assumed that your actions were that of a particularly enthusiastic fan.

That’s not to say he didn’t like your gifts. He loved them, but he just wasn’t able to outwardly show it often. The best way to keep away forehead wrinkles is to limit facial expressions, after all.

When you started to stop giving him as much attention, he was starting to wonder if you had just found a new celebrity to fawn over. Either way, the idea of you yearning for someone else bothered him greatly. Something that caught Vil by surprise.

When Vil finally questioned you, he was almost hurt to hear that you thought he didn’t care for you. But he understood where you were coming from. After all, Vil’s well known for being someone with his emotions in check.

“Of course I wish for you to stay with me. I may not say it out loud but I appreciate your company.”

Idia Shroud

Idia was beyond confused when you gave him all that attention. He couldn’t tell if you were mocking him or just trying to befriend him out of pity. Thanks to that, he didn’t really give you much attention in return.

When you started to distance yourself from him, he didn’t expect to miss your attention as much as he did. In fact he was getting so bummed out, Ortho had to ask him if he wanted to talk through his feelings. He obviously said no

It took him a few days to come up to you. Poor guy was terrified at even the slightest notion that you actually didn’t care for him and just found someone else to hang around with.

He felt so guilty when you told him that you thought he hated you for talking with him everyday. He immediately tried to fix his mistake by telling you how he really feels.

“I’m so sorry that I made you feel like that. Ugh, I’m such a lame jerk. If you want, please let me make this up to you!”

Malleus Draconia

Malleus was confused by your efforts and assumed that this was just how you normally acted with others. Not wanting to seem overbearing, he gave short responses to you.

Unfortunately, this completely backfired as you started to distance yourself from him. It was something that bothered him greatly and he spent an alarming long amount of time wondering what he had done wrong.

He then comes up with the idea of returning the behavior that you did with him. Maybe if he started to act in a similar way that you did, you’d be willing to sit and speak with him again.

After trying and definitely failing to get your attention with cheesy one-liners Lilia told him about, you decided to tell him that you thought he was bored of you. You continued to say that you strayed away from him to let him be more comfortable with other people, ones that you thought he liked more.

“You have given me the great gift of companionship. I would never tire of you, even if you did of me.”

[ottiliere]

hello! ur posts on the vagus nerve and its connections to digestions have encouraged me to do a lil mini dissertation thingy kinda focused on it/around it, ur big thread on PVT and everything really piqued my interest when i read it and i just held onto it for like a year or smthing until like last week when i started the project. Ik u said recently in one of ur posts i believe that ur not going to post the big dirk PVT post and im not here to be like yo post it because i also think u said that ur kinda moving away from like hs/dirky stuff rn ?? (im forgetting if i saw that sorry) but yeah i just wanted to say thank u etc etc, like ive never done an ask before so sorry if this is phrased weirdly but ur blog is just like one of those blogs that fundamentally changed how i view certain things in life for the better lol, like whether its ur beautiful representations / depictions of mental health in like just beautifully painted art (seriously the way u make it look like idk how to word it cartoony/really 2d but then it stands out against the background + if u zoom in and see the tiny pixel details == it makes me mad) or just like the huggeee long form posts that i like to chew on and save cuz theres so many details that AFFAAT like the way you talk abt the topics u portray has made me concious of how i would want to do so in the same way ig u get me. anyway this got really long and idk if i come across coherently, but ur just a random person on the internet whos art and written thoughts that u decide to share makes me happy when i see it == makes me pace around my room and distract me from this fat essay lmao so tldr: i really appreciate what u do + i hope like that ur doing well and that u keep arting and thoughting no matter what it is that u choose to focus on

(uve made me comitted to reading jthm, playing psychonauts and giving jjba w/ dio another go lmao) 🫶🫶

Hello! I’m sorry this reply is coming so late, this ask in particular is very sweet and has stuck out to me.

I’m really happy to have introduced you to PVT, this is something I’ve heard from a few different people on here and it’s very sweet… I did my thesis on it in college and the time really flew by while working on it, things you don't think could possibly attributed to "nerve issues" being nerve issues is always an eye-opener, isn't it? being able to research things that interest you & access information in general really is a privilege in this day and age.

“The topics [I] portray” are very important to me, so it’s heartening when others take interest in spite of the obvious deterrents. A lot of what I love making art about is unpalatable to most, and while I do understand the reasons for that on principle, it can make things feel a little insular. I genuinely believe there’s a lot of value in depicting tableaus of misery.

The last year has brought a lot of very unforeseen changes, and my life is quite different from when I initially made this blog to post about him! That’s also part of why I’ve been so sparse here…though I’m working to change that quite soon. I love sharing my work, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting some truly wonderful people through this website. That said…with where I’m at now, I’m not sure I’ll be posting the Dirk essay anytime soon, I’m afraid.

I’ve undertaken a few ongoing projects, one of which in particular is an original project I plan on sharing publicly here hopefully within the next month or so. I hope it’s something you & anyone else who’s stuck around with me here will enjoy, but failing that, I’ve really enjoyed working on it thus far.

Thank you for the sweet ask, take care, and good luck with your project!

[ceilingfan5]

Lab UA and Supernatural elements AU

“I don’t want to accuse you of anything,” Taako starts, as the prelude to absolutely making a fucking accusation. “But I’ve been wondering about you.” 

“What about me?” Kravitz is short with him. He’s been snappity short with him every fucking day since the incident. Taako has been so on edge and working in the lab with him has been…difficult. There’s no good way to come out and ask if someone is a just a fucking vampire now. 

Especially not because Taako fucking knows he’s a vampire now, because he can smell it on him. Because Taako isn’t a human either. 

But you can’t just be like. Straight up are you a vampire? Don’t lie, cause my werewolf nose knows. 

Maybe he should have come into this armed a little better. 

“Uh,” Taako says. “About how you’re doing.”

“Fine,” Kravitz says. “Can we do unethical science now?” 

“Seriously? You’re fine??” 

“Fine enough to do work,” Kravitz says cooly. “Besides, how does it involve you?”

“I mean you’re my fucking lab partner, asshole, and I care about whether or not you’ve been exsanguinated!” 

Kravitz squints at him. Taako grits his teeth. 

“Look,” Taako says, beginning to count on his fingers. “I haven’t seen you bring one of those fucking Lean Cuisines since last Tuesday.” 

Kravitz winces. 

“And you turned the heat up so high in the lab you ruined my psychic mold, and you’ve worn a turtleneck every day for the last week, and-”

“Taako-”

“And you’ve been a real bitch to me! Like it’s my fucking fault!”

Kravitz’s face falls. 

“Taako, I- I don’t think it was. I- I guess I got wrapped up in my own head trying to…fix it…before anyone noticed, and…I’m sorry, I never wanted to make you feel responsible.” 

Taako’s on a roll now, though, oops! 

“Well, maybe you should! Cause I should have fucking stopped it! There shouldn’t have been a fucking vampire in my territory, and you got fucking bit, and now you’re mad at me, and my psychic mold is ruined, and-”

Kravitz blinks. 

“Your territory, Taako?” 

“Uh.” 

Kravitz squints at him. Taako takes two full steps backward, like maybe Krav’s baby vampire senses might still be garbled enough to not smell a werewolf right in front of him. 

The eye contact is so physically painful that Taako’s afraid his balls are going to fall right off and roll under the centrifuge. 

“Taako,” Kravitz says, like this is occurring to him for the first time. “Why do you care so much?” 

“Um,” Taako’s between a rock and a hard place, and both of them are radioactive. “I’m mad about the mold?” 

“No.” 

“No? You can’t tell me I’m not mad! It’s- who the fuck do you think you are-” Taako steps back again as Kravitz steps closer, and closer, and suddenly Taako’s back is to the locked door to the specimen chambers. Kravitz is so fucking close. And he smells weird, fresh vampire and all, but it’s hardly…bad. Taako’s just…not happy about it, is all. 

“Why were you gone on Tuesday?” Kravitz keeps forgetting to blink. Has he admitted it yet? Taako’s brain is eating this whole awful conversation. 

“Uh,” Taako says. “Fishing.” 

“You’re out of personal time. You took your adoptive nephew to see the wrestling.”

“Fuck me,” Taako sighs. “Why the fuck do you care about my personal time?” 

Kravitz finally blinks, and looks away, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“No reason.”

“Hey,” Taako smells an out. It’s a dangerous one. But, you know, you take what you can get. “Do you fucking like me?”

“What??” Kravitz can’t go greyer in the face now, but he looks like he ought to be. “I- You’re- we’re coworkers! I can’t be-” 

“You fucking like me!” 

“Well-! It takes one to know one, doesn’t it??” 

“What the fuck are you accusing me of?” 

“You KNOW,” Kravitz hollers, looking totally unbalanced. “I’ve really lost track!”

Taako looks at him. Kravitz looks right back, looking downright pitiful, and Taako just has to laugh. Kravitz chuckles softly. 

“You know, in our line of work,” he says, shaking his head. “I should have gotten the vampire insurance.” 

“Yeah,” Taako says solemnly. “Dunno if it would’ve done you any good, though. I still can’t prove to Farm Bureau that I’m a werewolf.” 

Kravitz’s eyes go wide. Taako may as well go in with the baseball bat, while everything’s all fucked anyway. 

“Do you think we can still kiss?”

Kravitz opens his mouth, and shuts his mouth, and opens it again. 

“You know,” he repeats, thoughtful, dazed. “I’d still like to try?”

[latibvles]

So Sad, Beautiful, Tragic has turned a year old today — which is absolutely insane to think about for a plethora of reasons. And I tried to think of things to do, before eventually settling on this celebratory inbox game, and a very simple thank you.

Contrary to its title, this story has brought me… great joy, in the past year. I started it at a considerable low point in my life, mentally. It started as an escape — to think about someone so starkly distant from myself, to make mistakes and have them be forgiven. I wanted a story about forgiveness, about friendship, about resilience.

What I got was a very kind community around me and some very lovely friends who pick me up even unknowingly. Which is honestly more than a girl could ask for.

The last longfic I ever wrote was in 2019, and to this day it remains unfinished on its little corner of the internet. Just twelve chapters of unfinished fanfiction. If you told me a year ago that a story that was never supposed to leave my drafts would end up fifty chapters long, with people who comment regularly on it, who share the same enthusiasm for it that I do? I’d call you insane. But here we are. And I’m happy to be here :)

I do want to thank some specific people though, because where would I be without this community?

@softguarnere , @brassknucklespeirs , @liebgotts-lovergirl and @mercurygray : be it once or like five times, whether it’s a deciding pivotal plot detail , beta-reading, or just trying to name a chapter title , I’ve messaged all of you at one point and you’ve lended me your ear to spitball and find the next turn for the story to take. You’re all lovely friends to have, and when I think of the people who’ve helped this story along the way, you’re the first people that come to mind.

@galaxialuz , @mads-weasley , and @the-cinnamontography-is-amazing : my serial rebloggers / commenters , everytime you all comment on the story or reblog I gain ten years of life. Your reactions are some of the ones I look forward to the most. Seriously, eternally grateful to know how much you love the story, and to those of you who may comment on AO3 who’s users I simply don’t have : this is an acknowledgment for you too! Comments and RBs make the world go around and I’m so thankful for all of mine <3

@almost-a-class-act , @cody-helix02 , @wexhappyxfew , @derry-rain , @shoshiwrites , and @we-band-of-brothers : For letting me bang my pot and my pan, senselessly and loudly, about anything and everything that has to do with this fic of mine. I come strolling into messages going “GUYS BUT DAISY!!!!” and to be met with the same enthusiasm is a really lovely thing. Seriously, for someone who’s been told to, ahem, be quiet about their OCs several times, knowing that I have people who will listen whether it’s an AU I had in mind, a chapter I finished, or mindless rambling is such a gift.

And I am thanking you, person reading this post, for making it this far! Whether you’re a passive reader or one commenting on every chapter or just someone who happened upon this particular post, thanks for giving my words the time of day!

All of this to say: thank you for the support, thank you for the community you’ve let me into, thank you for every bookmark, and like, and reblog, and message. thank you to my anonymous pals and known ones alike — thank you for showing this story the support and love that you have. SBT isn’t perfect, but it is mine, and I’m proud of it, and it means the world to know that something I have created and put into the world is very very loved.

[obwjam]

hmmmmm could you write a soft Jamie or Roy or Ted fic by any chance? bonus points if it's an especially skittish borrower being discovered by them

you’re so lucky that you asked this specific thing because i wrote a ted thing a while ago and was looking for an excuse to post it :) it just starts abruptly so please ignore that in favor of lots of soft ted

————————————————————————

“Don’t worry, Beard ain’t comin’ for at least another hour. I was up early, so I decided to just head on over to work. Just one of those mornings,” Ted chuckled. One of those mornings after a sleepless night of tossing and turning.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright, it’s okay,” Ted said softly, putting his hands up in mock surrender when you started to inch back. “I ain’t gonna hurt’cha. Just call me the BFG. Or Gulliver. He was a pretty nice guy to all those Lilliputians.”

You had absolute no clue what he was talking about.

“BFG. Big friendly giant? Roald Dahl?” Ted questioned, before remembering that the chances of you reading a novel was probably zero. “Right, right. Tiny person. You’re not a Lilliputian, are you?”

Nothing. Ted frowned. He was used to people not taking him seriously, but being scared of him? That was a first.

“I’m just… well, I’m a little confused,” Ted confessed, trying to keep the conversation going. “Believe it or not, you’re the first tiny person I’ve ever seen runnin’ across a desk. Or runnin’ anywhere, really.”

Ted’s ever-persistent smile faded when he took a moment to see just how terrified you were. You hadn’t moved since the moment he walked in, and you weren’t sure you’d be able to until he left.

If he left.

“D’you have a name, little guy?” Ted asked, knowing full well he wasn’t going to get an answer. “I’m Ted Lasso. Though you probably already know that, don’t you?”

Nothing.

“How did y’even get up on my desk, anyway? No offense, but I—”

Ted was nearly stunned silent in the middle of his sentence. As soon as he asked that, it triggered something inside you; the intense fear of being reprimanded, of being punished simply for existing, all came to a head. You broke down, sobbing into your shirt as your heartbeat grew faster and faster.

Ted shut his mouth and stared, eyes practically shaking at the sight before him. Suddenly realizing how intimidating he must look looming over you, he slowly lowered himself into his chair, his gaze not once leaving you.

“Woah, hey, c’mon now, it’s — it’s alright,” Ted said as he sat, his voice quivering slightly. In a way, he knew how you were feeling, and he was usually good at comforting people. But he was lacking in experience with four-inch-tall people. “Look, I know I must look real scary t’you right now, but I promise, I would never hurt you, and I ain’t mad. I’m just… I just wanna talk, if that’s alright.”

In your mind, you knew he was telling the truth. You had seen him here for months, and you supposed this was way better than being discovered by anyone else. But he was a human, and all humans were the same. Dangerous. Reckless. Curious.

“You can understand me, right?”

He said he wasn’t mad, but the more one-sided the conversation became, the more worried you were that he would snap. Slowly, you shook your head yes.

You were expecting some kind of audible hooray from Ted once you actually responded to him, but you were pleasantly surprised when his only reaction was a warm smile. You felt your eyes widen a bit. That smile felt… genuine.

“Can I ask how you got in here? In my office, I mean. Or the whole building, really.” Ted was cognizant to keep his sentences short. His rambling was clearly making you nervous.

You swallowed, realizing quickly that your only way out of this was with a conversation. You opened your mouth to respond, and all the words got caught in your throat. Nothing but a small whimper came out.

Ted furrowed his brow in concern. How on earth was he going to get a response out of you? Maybe it was best to just leave you alone… but then he would be thinking about you non-stop every day he walked into work, and that wasn’t going to fly.

“I… I live here.”

Ted tilted his head and tried hard to suppress a smile, but he couldn’t. Your voice was so damn cute.

“You live here? All this time, Rebecca could’ve been chargin’ rent,” he joked, mostly to himself. “Where is… here, exactly?”

You shrugged. “Here. There. Wherever is safe.” You were not about to give him more details than was absolutely necessary.

Ted nodded. “Here, there, and everywhere. I get it, you could probably burrow into anything. Gosh, you are just… so small…”

This is what you were afraid of. Ted was very, very quickly getting attached to you.

“Sorry, I’m sorry,” he stammered. He didn’t really intend to say that out loud. “That was inappropriate of me, wasn’t it? I’m sure you’re very aware of how small you are.” He groaned. “Dang it, I did it again.”

You didn’t mean to, but you sniffed a laugh. He was starting to sound as nervous as you were.

“I came in here to get some supplies,” you said, almost a whisper, but somehow Ted heard it.

He leaned in ever so slightly. “Supplies? You buildin’ somethin’?”

“Sort of…” you said, slowly turning your head around. Your hook was still there, dangling off the side of the desk with the paper clip stuck into the wood.

It didn’t take long for Ted’s eyes to follow your gaze. His expression brightened when he finally noticed, and he nearly reached across the desk to pluck it up before realizing that leaning over you was probably not the best idea.

“Can I see it?”

You looked up in surprise, and Ted gave a small nod as if to say it was safe for you to move. Carefully, you padded to the edge of the desk, yanked your hook up and gently placed it in front of you. You felt your breath hitch as Ted’s gigantic hand slowly descended, fingers pinching the paper clip like it was nothing to him.

He was speechless as he dangled it in front of his face, eyes moving rapidly as he tried to make sense of what he was holding. It was a tiny little hook made by a tiny little person. How did this thing actually work?

“…Wow,” was all Ted could say. “So you really swing around on this thing like some itty bitty Batman.”

You felt your face get hot. Were you blushing?

“I, uh. I need a new paper clip. That one’s old. ‘S why I’m on your desk. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Woah there, little buddy. You do not need to apologize to me, you hear? Gosh, that’s all you needed? You risked your life just so you could get one little measly paper clip? Jeeze Louise.” Ted leaned back, opened his drawer, snatched a paper clip out and plunked it on the desk in front of you. He didn’t miss the way you jumped at his movements. “If you need some post-it notes too, just tell me, I got hundreds of ‘em.”

“I…” you had no words. He barely questioned you and immediately jumped at the chance to help. What kind of giant did that?

“Go on, it’s alright,” Ted said gently, trying to coax you from the spot where you were frozen solid. “Take it. It’s yours.”

As soon as you picked up the paper clip, Ted’s heart practically melted. It was nearly as tall as you were. How could someone so small function in a world like this? It was then that he noticed just how ragged you were. Your clothes weren’t actually clothes — they were more like rags with limb-sized holes cut in them. They draped off your body like some regal gown, but Ted knew that you weren’t some kind of tiny royalty. You were frail.

“Y’know, I never had a chance to grab breakfast this morning,” Ted started, trying to gauge your reaction. You gave him nothing. “D’you — would you — I could take you with me to get somethin’, if you’d like. B-But you don’t have to say yes, if you don’t want to. You just — if I may, you really look like you could use somethin’ to… when was the last time you ate?”

You shrugged. “A few days ago, maybe.”

“A few days?! Well, that settles it. You’re comin’ with me.”

Almost instinctively, Ted placed his hand down on the table, dragging it back a bit once he saw how you shuddered at the movement. The top of his palm went halfway up your body, and he suddenly became nervous.

You took a few steps back, stumbling as your eyes darted from his palm up to his face and back down again. God, he was so big.

Ted flushed red. “I’m sorry, little guy, I didn’t mean it like that.” He huffed a laugh, and you were confused. “Gosh, some BFG I am. I’m not really helpin’ you, am I? I’m just scarin’ you.”

You sighed. Even watching him from afar, you couldn’t figure Ted out. You always waited for his facade to fade as soon as someone left the room; maybe a scowl, or mumbling something mean about them. But it never happened. Maybe… maybe he really was this nice. God damn it, were you actually feeling bad for him?

“I…” you started, pausing to see if Ted would hear you. He did. Of course. “I would… I would love to eat, actually.” Another pause. “Thank you.”

Ted felt his entire chest fill with warmth. He wasn’t really sure what was about to happen, but he knew one thing — he was going to keep you safe, no matter what. There was no way he could let you go now. He was determined.

“Hey, remember what I said?” Ted asked. You shook your head no. “I said I wouldn’t hurt you. And I meant it. Yeah?”

You shyly nodded, which immediately prompted Ted to smile. His eyes never left you as you gingerly climbed onto his palm, which was surprisingly still as you situated yourself.

Really, he could barely process what was happening. But he felt his heart skip a beat and his breath hitch when you made contact with him, your little tiny movements suddenly very sharp on his own hand. Boy, he thought, this is really taking having someone’s life in your hands to a whole new level.

“Are you good, little guy?” Ted finally remembered to ask.

A small nod. His heart fluttered.

“Right, I’ll keep you real close, alright? Make sure no one else sees you.”

You were waiting for that sinking feeling to hit, and while you were incredibly nervous, it never really happened. There was something about this giant… this… Ted… that you just knew was different. Call it instinct, delusion, whatever, but something inside of you felt safe.

Maybe this really was alright.

BONUS

“You really found one?” Beard asked incredulously. Frankly, he was shocked that Ted discovered a borrower before he did.

Ted nodded with an emphatic mmmhmm before an alarm bell went off in his head. “Say, how did you know that I was harborin’ a tiny person? I could have been hidin’ anything from you.”

Beard didn’t say a word, but he raised his eyebrows and curled his mouth in such a way that made Ted realize he probably didn’t want or need to know how Beard knew.

“You shoulda seen me,” Ted said lowly, trying to make sure his conversation didn’t get picked up by anyone else on the pitch. “Made a great BFG joke.”

“I thought the whole point of the BFG is that the giants eat people.”

“Hm.” Ted thought about that for a moment before his eyes went wide. Mouth agape, he turned to Beard, who gave a simple nod. “Oh, shoot.”

“That’s a pretty big mistake right there.”

“Ohhh,” Ted chuckled. “Ohh-ho-ho. That’s a good one, coach.”

“Thank you, coach.”

“You’re mighty welcome, coach.”

A pause.

“Can I meet them?”

“No, nope,” Ted replied immediately. “Oh, no. Absolutely not.”

Beard bobbed his head. “I figured.”

“Maybe someday,” Ted mused, thinking of how his tiny friend was probably enjoying some alone time in the makeshift Lego house he built for them. “Maybe someday.”

[scarletmirrors]

[A3! Translation] Perfect hit! [Chikage R]

Thanks to Hira for the raws!

Translation under the cut!

Itaru: Yes! And with this I’m finished with the event~

Itaru: …wait, huh? Senpai, are you going to work on a weekend?

Chikage: Yeah, I think I'll be home around dusk.

Itaru: I see, good luck~

Chikage: Geez…

Chikage: Huh? That sound–

rumbling

Itaru: …shit.

Chikage: …Chigasaki, that mountain over there just toppled over.

Chikage: Did I not ask you to clean the room before?

Itaru: That's, well, I did, when you said that I started to sort my games, but…

Chikage: but?

Itaru: …I sorted them all into a pile.

Chikage: I wouldn’t call that cleaning

Itaru: …sorry, sir.

Chikage: This time, I’d like the room to be clean when I come back.

Itaru: …I will do my best.

—

Itaru: Phew…stage clear! I think I’ve reached a good place to stop for now.

Itaru: Oh, shoot. I’ve gotta clean before Senpai gets back…

Itaru: …what a pain, but I guess it has to be done.

rustling

Itaru: Why hello there, I thought I’d lost you, never thought I’d see you here of all places. I’ll play this next week…

Itaru: I don’t need this anymo- well, it would be kind of a shame to toss it, guess it’s a keeper.

Itaru: Hm…I could send the rest to my parents…they might get pissed though.

Itaru: This one I have to keep…and I don’t wanna throw this one away…

Itaru: Ugh, if I keep this up Senpai'll be home in no time.

Itaru: (Now that I think back, something like this happened before)

Chikage: Hey, Chigasaki…I asked you to clean before, didn’t I? Why is there a literal mountain of stuff on the floor here?

Itaru: You say that, but Senpai will take care of it, right?

Chikage: Hm…Well, alright then. I’ll be tossing anything I think isn’t worth keeping, though.

Itaru: I’m very sorry! I’ll clean it up myself…

—

Itaru: (He’s said the same thing about messes before, but in the end he never throws away my things even when he says he will.)

Itaru: (Maybe it’s because he had to go to work today, but what the heck, he really is kind~)

Itaru: Anyways, I’ll choose stuff that I’m sure I can get rid of.

Itaru: Heave-h…woah!!

Itaru: …I'm way too weak, lol.

Itaru: (Huh? What's under the box that just fell…?)

Itaru: This is…!

Itaru: The dartboard set we got for Senpai's birthday? 

Itaru: It's gotten all squashed…shoot!

Itaru: Ugh, seriously? It got so damaged…

Itaru: (I have to do something before Senpai gets back…in times like these, there's only one person to turn to!)

2.

Tsumugi: Tasuku has a guest performance today. He might be home late tonight.

Itaru: I’m screwed…

Tsumugi: Did something happen?

Itaru: Yeah, something like that…

Tsumugi: ?

—

Itaru: (If I can’t get Tasuku to fix it, then I can only be honest about what happened.

Itaru: (No matter how kind Senpai is, if I saw his reaction to seeing a birthday gift broken, I wouldn’t be a fan of myself either.)

Itaru: (But, I am the person who broke it. This also happened because I didn’t properly clean like I was asked to, I’ll properly apologise about both…I won’t object if he’s upset with me)

Chikage: I’m ho-

Itaru: I am extremely sorry!

Chikage: …huh?

Itaru: I will accept any punishment you choose to enact!

Chikage: ……I’ll admit. Coming home to you doing dogeza* I'm a little lost.

Itaru: Well the truth is…while cleaning the room, I broke your dartboard set…

Chikage: Oh, this? Hm…

Chikage: The board is broken pretty badly, I don’t think it’ll be usable for games.

Itaru: …

Chikage: Actually, I had promised to play darts with Sakuya and Citron the other day.

Itaru: …eh?

Chikage: And we were planning to invite you, Tsuzuru, and Masumi too.

Chikage: Since it was a dart board that Sakuya painstakingly chose for me, I thought it would be best to enjoy a fun night with all of the Spring Troupe…

Chikage: It’s kind of disappointing, we’ll have to apologise to Sakuya and the others…

Itaru: I’m…truly, truly sorry.

Chikage: It can’t be helped, all things break eventually. And it’s my fault for putting it somewhere so precarious.

Itaru: Guh…

Itaru: (Senpai’s not mad, but now I feel guilty as hell…)

Itaru: It wont fully make up for it, but I'll properly explain what happened to everyone and apologise…

Itaru: If I had just cleaned everyday, this wouldn’t have happened.

Chikage: …Well. At least now you understand the importance of cleaning.

Itaru: …huh?

Chikage: I’m just kidding.

Itaru: Wait, so just now that was…!?

Chikage: The thing you broke was something I got from some outing from work once.

Chikage: I didn’t need it, and was thinking about throwing it away.

Chikage: It does look similar to the dart board I got for my birthday, so I don't blame you for mistaking the two.

Itaru: S, so that's it…

Chikage: Plus, there's no way I'd put things that I get from you guys on the floor like that.

Itaru: That is true, if I thought about it more I would have realised it too…

Itaru: Phew…and I got into a panic for nothing.

Chikage: Well the fact that you broke something of mine still stands.

Itaru: And I am still very sorry.

Chikage: If you are, I think there's something beyond words that you can do.

Itaru: huh? Why do I have a bad feeling about this…

Chikage: Until you've finished cleaning, games are off-limits

Itaru: Huuuuh!? Thats, if you look closely at the mountain of games it's gotten a little smaller, I think,

Chikage: You'll do it, since you're so very sorry, right?

Itaru: …yes.

*dogeza is when one kneels on the ground to show deep apology

[jodilin65]

I was reading back in my journals from the summer of 2004 and it still amazes me how brave I was all alone in a flimsy old RV in the middle of the wilderness in the Pacific Northwest when Tom was looking for work without a care or a fear in the world other than the damn truck we had at the time breaking down. Well, I really should have been scared. Actually, I should have been utterly terrified. I had no phone or way of contacting anyone, not that they could have gotten to me in much under an hour. A wildfire could have erupted or a bear or big cat could have clawed its way into the RV and killed me if it hadn’t gotten a more convenient chance of catching me outside. I can’t believe I was once that brave to the point of utter stupidity! We were both adventurous, taking foolish chances and we would never in a million years repeat some of our ridiculous choices. Not even if I was suddenly young again and in perfect health.

I looked up Boar Lane on Google Maps to see if anything was up there on the mountain we were briefly on till money blew all our plans apart and it’s still mostly empty forest. Tom noticed the land looked kind of yucky and dried up. Maybe it was a drought or maybe a wildfire gutted some of the trees.

Didn’t see the RV we abandoned but someone has a real dump of a place near where we were. It might even be on the same parcel of land but a little further back. Looks like a real dump too. Can’t tell if it’s a large trailer or something built on-site due to trees surrounding it. They have a few scattered vehicles and all kinds of other junk cluttered all over the place. They strike me as seriously filthy and disorderly. It seems they’re the only ones around for miles and it makes you wonder, given the condition of the place from what I could see, if they might be some kind of mad serial killer living out there so they could get away with torturing their victims. I know you can’t always tell the type of people who live in a particular place but I got the distinct and immediate feeling it was either some kind of reclusive mental case or a very dangerous person. Let’s just say that if I was wandering around lost out there, I would be afraid to approach the place to ask for help and not just because of what loose dogs may come at me.

Since the mass-loaded vinyl is black and ugly, I’m going to eventually get the textured wallpaper tiles that are in the other bedroom on the back wall. I’ll probably get the same brick design. They’ve been holding up really well. I would like to get the same pale pink this too-thin wallpaper is but I don’t see the same shade of pink anywhere. I’ll probably just go with white and eventually do all four walls with it because this wallpaper is horribly thin that the seams in the wallboards show through. We’re not going to do it all at once, though. The master bedroom is a pretty good size and could get expensive.

Just started watching Fake Profile on Netflix. It’s good so far.

As I’ve mentioned before, I love to play around with human-like chat models, not so much for the chatter, but to design their appearance and dress them up and things like that. So for the appearance as opposed to companionship, because I just can’t get into the idea of a non-sentient companion.

Mate AI was suggested in my Facebook feed and wow! These models look way more realistic than Replika’s. One of the things I never liked about Replika was the lips. Their faces and bodies aren’t quite as realistic. Even Mate’s hands and hair are more realistic looking. You see faint hints of veins in the hands and there are separate hairs on their head, whereas with Replika they tend to be more like masses of hair.

It’s set up very similar to Replika where you get coins and gems as you progress through the levels. The difference is there’s a thing called Standby so you can do video chats for free, but with Replika you can’t do this without paying up although Mate does have free and premium versions.

You also get more free clothes and they have a lot of nice ones too. Just not as many as Replika and no jewelry, nail polish, or high heels from what I can see.

There are preset questions you can ask to get a conversation going if you can’t think of any topics of your own.

The animations are better and more realistic and I like the background better as well. When I first open the app, “Amanda” appears to be watering a plant, reading a book she plucks off of a shelf, or whatever while Mia just pops up standing there. I’m still getting to know the app, but it’s fun to play around with so far.

[nascentus-morimur]

I have to post about this somewhere because I can’t take it alone anymore, and I can’t talk about it out loud.

My favorite person in the world passed away November 10’th, 2020. I was miserable that fall, and I’ve become particularly miserable every fall since. I haven’t struggled with seasonal depression before then, so I don’t think that’s what it is. Even thinking about him in passing can make me sob for hours.

I can’t get over the fact that I missed the spreading of his ashes because my parents didn’t want to go and didn’t want me to go. I can’t get past the fact that I can’t talk to him on the phone anymore. I can’t get past the fact that I talked to him two days before he passed away. I know he knew how much I loved him, but I feel like I still need to talk to him. It drives me crazy.

I wish I had someone to help me through this, someone who knew him too, but my parents and my brother are the only ones who sort of knew him like I did, and my brother doesn’t handle emotions the same way I do, and my parents fucking hate me. I don’t know how to get past this.

I know it’s a bit dumb, three years should be enough time, but every little thing sets me off as soon as it hits late July and I don’t know what to do.

He was eighty, I’m not mad at him at all. It wasn’t his fault. I just can’t forgive my parents for purposefully missing his memorial service even though we were invited. I just can’t get past the fact that I never really got to say goodbye and I don’t know how to say it now.

I know his ashes were spread on a beach near the graveyard that has his plot and his wife’s, but I can’t just ask his son who I didn’t know very well “hey, I saw your father as the grandfather I never had and I would like to know where you spread his ashes, please?”.

I don’t know, I just wish I could figure it all out and stop being so torn up about it all. I want to be able to talk about him seriously and tell the people I love about him, but I can’t talk about him without bawling.

It’s just really upsetting and I don’t know how to fix it.

[moemoemammon]

Following that "least favorite" request could we get their reactions to being to told that they're their favorite, but to not tell the other brothers so their feelings don't get hurt? Maybe because they relate to them the most or just get along really well. Thanks!

You're My Favorite! But Don't Tell the Others-

(Feat. GN!MC and the Demon Bros)

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

Lucifer

There are no words to explain the overwhelming satisfaction ion Lucifer’s face after you tell him that. Of course, it’s only natural that he would be your favorite, all things considered.

The Avatar of Pride won’t ever forget this moment. He carefully considers your words and agrees not to tell anyone, as much as he’d love to bring it up, because he knows more than anyone what kind of chaos would ensue should the others (especially Mammon) find out.

But they can tell something’s up when the eldest has been heard humming all day. He moves about the house with even more grace than usual, and hasn’t scowled even once.

But the REAL shocker was when Mammon tried hiding a bill right as Lucifer walked in... and the eldest let him off with a warning. A WARNING! The brothers thought the Devildom must’ve frozen over, but you and he knew different.

“MC, I would like you to accompany me to Le Pluvier this afternoon, once you've finished your studies. I've already made reservations, so be sure to get ready on time. I've made sure to consider the things you might like to eat, so I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself. Don't be late." "...I'm grinning? I don't know what you're talking about."

Mammon

The gigantic grin on Mammon’s face is so bright, it could rival the sun. You’ve seriously made his day. No, his year. Actually, he’s pretty sure he could ride this high for the next millennia! There’s nothing in this world that could dampen his spirits right now! 

He feels like he just won big at the casino! Of course he’s your favorite! He WAS your first demon, and now he’s gone and claimed his rightful spot as your number one! Good luck trying to keep him from saying anything. Mammon’s gonna throw it around in everyone’s faces for as long as he can milk it.

And you thought he was clingy before, just wait till you see how he treats you after hearing that. Despite always calling you his ‘servant’ or his ‘human’, you’d  think your roles were reversed. Mammon spoils you every chance he gets, buying you clothes and trinkets, filling the spaces in your room with the things he knows you like, monopolizing you completely until nearly everything you own is a gift from him.

Your words also help soothe that jealousy of his a little. Only a little, though. It’s easier to watch you talk to other demons when he knows he’ll always be your first man.

“Didja really have to stay after class that long? I know you were talkin' to that demon that lent you a book, but you outta ask ME for stuff! Tch... you're lucky I'm in a good mood today! But I guess I don't have to worry about some low level demon like that, seein' as I'm your favorite!"

Levi

Wait wait wait....Come again? Did you seriously just say what he think you said..? That had to be a mistake! Some kind of...uh..verbal typo! Because there’s absolutely, positively, NO WAY in all of the nine layers that he could be your favorite demon. And yet you still insist that you’re telling the truth, and Levi feels like he’s died and gone to heaven. 

Red faced and stammering up a storm, Levi looks like he might die. Is it really okay for a shut-in otaku to feel this giddy? Seriously, he hasn’t felt like this since he got his hands on a signed copy of a Ruri Hana audio drama! No no, this definitely beats that!

You’ve managed to inflate his nearly nonexistent ego, and now he feels like there’s nothing he can’t do! Maybe he could even go to Majolish right now?? THAT’S how good he’s feeling!

Almost as bad as Mammon in keeping it a secret. He doesn’t tell anyone right away, but they’re suspicious when they notice how much time he’s spending out of his room. And then when he and Mammon get in another petty argument, he drops the bomb that he’s your favorite demon in the entire Devildom, and you can guess how things go from there.

“Uuuoooo...!!!!! I've decided..! Since I've got a serious stat buff, I'm going to open a booth at the next convention coming up..! I'll sell my Ruri-chan fan art and spread her influence all over the Devildom! I'd never have the guts to do it normally, but I feel like I could do anything right now! Y-you'll go too, won't you MC?"

Satan

You nearly made this man spit tea all over his book, and now he’s coughing and spluttering and trying to figure out what could’ve prompted what he’s taking as a confession. You.. do realize what you’re saying, don’t you? And you know the kind of effect your words have on him?

Satan isn’t the type that wears his heart on his sleeve, so you have to look for his subtle expressions to tell how he’s feeling. But there’s nothing subtle about the redness of his ears and how he’s begging you not to look at him right now. For the sake of his sanity, give him a minute to recoup.

When he does recover, he agrees to keep it a secret for obvious reasons. And it’s hard to tell that he’s in a good mood, other than the fact that he hasn’t tried to pull any pranks on Lucifer lately. But Asmo sees all, and literally hounds him into spilling the tea.

He tells him a lie of course, but now the other brothers are noticing just how happy he is. Satan's smiling way too much today, isn't he? And he didn't even get mad when Beel got whipped cream on his jacket! Well, not THAT mad, anyway.

"Haaah... everyone's been harassing me all day, claiming I'm smiling a lot. I'm sure I look the same as I always do, but I'll admit that I've been happy ever since you told me that this morning. Wait.. you did think I've been grinning too, do you? I have??"

Asmo

Asmo always jokes about being your favorite and announces it as if the two of you are married, but when you actually confirm that his longing for you isn’t one sided, he ends up smearing lip balm across his cheek in shock. Did you... really say that just now? He knew it all along, but hearing it like that is just...!

Ooooh, he’s so happy he can hardly contain himself! Asmo throws his arms around you, peppering your face in kisses until you feel sticky from lip balm, wipes your face clean, then marks it up all over again. Good luck getting rid of him, because he might never let go.

Immediately posts it to Devilgram. Did you really think he’d let such a momentous occasion go unannounced? You must not have been paying attention to the kind of person he is! Asmo would put you on a pedestal in front of the world like a precious jewel if he were able, but this’ll have to do. He won’t hide his love at all!

Of course, the others don’t take too kindly to it, not that he cares. He never leaves your side, pampers you like crazy, and has even attempted to get you to move into his room. Lucifer put an immediate stop to that, though. Boo...

“I just can't get enough of you, MC! Just being near you gets me so excited that I can hardly stand it! You'll take responsibility for what you're doing to me, won't you? And in exchange, I'll take my time showing you just how much I love you. After all, you're my favorite, too!"

Beel

Beel never has a problem with choking while he eats, and it comes as naturally as breathing. Unfortunately neither of that applies right now, since you just made him choke on a meatball sub.

He usually takes your words with quiet acceptance, but this might be the most emotion you've ever witness from the stoic demon. His eyes are wider than that time that laid on an entire gingerbread mansion, sparkling up with such deep emotion you wouldn't be surprised if he cried. Instead he softens up and immediately embraces you.

...And doesn't let go. Sandwich long forgotten, he's been carrying you around all day, and ignoring any questions or protests from his brothers. Also insists on feeding you throughout the day. The food tastes better when he can enjoy it with you, so why not just bring you everywhere?

When he isn't carrying you, he's following you around subconsciously, either close up against you like a protective wall, or just far enough that you're within his line of sight. As far as not telling anyone, he... tells Belphie immediately. It was an accident though, since there's not much he keeps from his twin.

"MC, I won a meal ticket for Godevil Chocolatier. Let's get something for dessert today. Ah, you can get as much as you want, too. I really want to see what things you choose. They might become my favorites."

Belphie

There's nothing in this world that can wake Belphegor from his sleep, unless he allows it. No loud noises, no amount of shaking or smacking, and not even dragging him around the house. But the moment you whisper that he's your favorite demon, the Avatar of Sloth is wide awake.

Hey, you're not just saying weird things to get a reaction, are you? Because if so, this is a new level of cruel. Yet you confirm that you mean it and swear him into secrecy, and Belphie tries his best not to show how happy he is. A smile keeps creeping up on his face that he struggles to force down. It's annoying...

As funny as it’d be to tell everyone the news, he's good at keeping secrets. Instead, you've noticed that he's been sleeping a little less that before. When he does take one of his hundreds of naps, he finds some way to be closer to you. He's even been seen sleepwalking to your exact location somehow-

It's hard for him to believe that you're not teasing, though. How could HE be your favorite demon here? Belphie doesn't do anything special to win you over, yet after everything he put you through, you like him enough to deep him your favorite?

"You're weird, MC. I mean... me? I won't deny that I'm really happy though, but I guess I'm in disbelief. You should spoil me even more until I believe you. Lend me your lap for a few hours, okay?" "...I wonder what Lucifer would think if I told him, heheh."

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

I’m jumping on the baby fever train! Choo choo. But I don’t have any money for a ticket. I’m a transient riding the rails with my stick and bindle. all I can offer you is half a tin of beans and the company of a scraggly dog that follows me on my travels. I’ll let you pet the mutt I’ve named Sparkplug if you’d be so kind to spin me a little yarn about Santi having a baby with a reader with whom he had a one night fling…. *shakes can of beans at you* I’ll even let you have the first bite o beans.

Why thank you!! I will let you take the first bite of beans if I can sit next to Sparkplug. May I call him Sparky?

Alright, heat those beans up while I weave this tale (this tale that got too long, oh my god I hope the beans are still warm)

Warnings: Mentions of pregnancy, angst, ends in fluff

It's hard to tell Santiago what happened

He gave you his number, but he did so in a way that he obviously doesn't expect you to use it.

It was in like a passing, 'let's get dinner some time' but said in a way that he clearly never expects to see you...Ever again.

So when you use the number, when you call and not text, he sounds confused. Confusion melts to flirty intrigue, jokes about coming back for seconds.

You ask him to meet you for coffee. You barely know this guy, this is big news. A public space would be better.

Santiago comes in all cocky, grinning. He must assume you're gonna fuck in the bathroom.

You wait until he's two sips into his coffee to tell him that you're pregnant.

You try not to be too offended when he asks, "Are you sure it's mine?"

"You're the only person I've had sex with since, like, last year, so...Yeah.”

Santiago leans back in his seat, eyes sweeping your face before he turns back down to his cup of coffee. You can see his jaw working.

"What do you wanna do?" He asks.

You've been asking yourself that since you found out. You haven't told anyone in your family about this, none of your friends. You've been stewing and worrying alone.

"...I don't know." It comes out of you quietly, shaking like a rattle.

Santiago doesn't coddle you. He doesn't tell you that it's going to be alright. He just tells you that he'll support whatever you wanna do.

"What if I wanna have it?" You ask.

"I'm not gonna try and stop you."

"Would you want to be involved?"

Santiago sighs, and your chest twists with discomfort. You have to stop yourself from raising your hand to protectively and defensively rest on your stomach.

“With what I do, I’m not...I don’t spend most of my time in the States.”

“What do you do?”

“Is that important?”

“That’s a pretty stupid question if I’m gonna have your kid.”

Santiago grimaces, leans in and lowers his voice, and tells you.

It’s startling, but not wholly surprising. You’d seen the scars, the dog tags.

“Look,” Santiago adds. “I’m just—I’m trying to set your expectations here. If you decide to have it, I’m not necessarily going to be around.”

“No, I—” You shake your head. “I appreciate it. Seriously, I do.”

Santiago nods a touch, though he doesn’t seem to believe you.

“I’m leaving at the end of the week,” He says. “Think you’ll decide by then?”

“Maybe.”

“...Don’t rush it. I was just wondering.”

And then Santiago slides out of the booth. “You’ve got my number. Let me know.”

You do let him know. You call him two weeks later, and tell him that you’re keeping it.

“...Alright,” He says.

You don’t ask if he wants to be involved, if he’s mad at you. They’re answers that you’re not sure you want.

“I’ll send you updates if you want updates,” You tell him. “Either way—You know, no worries.”

“...Sure.”

The space that he puts into these answers is concerning, but you try not to read into it. 

“Bye, then.” You hang up without another word and toss the phone onto your bed. Then you look down at your belly and poke it. “Guess it’s just you and me, huh, kid?”

You send Santiago updates.

You start getting checks. When you text him about them, he just says, ‘Baby shit is expensive’.

He tells you he won’t take any of it back, even when you try. The two of you settle on an amount for him to send regularly.

You only send him ultrasounds and doctor’s notes—not pictures of the bump, or thoughts that you have on names, or the progress of the nursery.

You’re eight months along when your buzzer rings late at night. You frown, pushing yourself up from the couch and setting aside your nearly-decimated pint of Ben & Jerry’s. 

“Who’s that?” You murmur to your belly as you head for the door. You press the ‘talk button’ and ask who it is.

When Santiago’s voice crackles through, you’re briefly stunned. And then you hit the ‘open’ button.

You stare down at your maternity PJs, and the swell of your belly peeking out between your sweatpants and top.

When there’s a knock on the door, you jump just a little. You take in a deep breath and swallow thickly before you open the door.

Santiago looks as surprised to be there as you are. He searches your face for a moment before he says, “Hi.”

“Hello.”

His eyes drop to the swell of your belly and his mouth works wordlessly for just a second. Then he asks, “Can I come in?”

It’s weird being around him. There’s no crackling sexuality between the two of you as there was that first night, and far less tension between the two of you than there was at the coffee shop.

Santiago just looks around, then down the hall. He jerks his thumb over his shoulder, and you nod, saying, “The one on the left.”

Santiago goes, and you follow. He takes his time after he flicks on the light, looking around the cool mint green of the nursery—the crib, the toys, the rocking chair, the changing table and dresser. 

“...You’ve got clothes?”

“In the dresser and the closet.”

“Diapers?”

“Uh-huh.” Then, “I got a lot from the baby shower.”

Santiago nods a little, walking over to the dresser and pulling the drawers open to look at them before he nudges it shut again. He turns to look at the window, the baby monitor, then you. “...You’re okay?”

“Yeah,” You nod. “You?”

He doesn’t answer that, just takes a moment and says, “I’m going to be, um...I’m back in the States—for good.”

“...Okay.”

You don’t ask if he’ll be nearby, if he has plans. They’re questions that you don’t think you want the answers to.

“...Will you tell me when you go into labor?”

“Yeah, of course,” You insist, “I was always gonna—I mean I wouldn’t have not told you.”

“Okay.” Then—“I should get going. I have to unpack.”

Your curiosity gets the better of you—“Nearby?”

“Bout five minutes away.”

You tell yourself not to read into it, not to expect support, but it makes your heart tick up in your chest. You just nod, and step back to let Santiago out of the room, and follow him down the hall to your front door.

He stops at the door and turns back to you, looking at your belly.

“Can I, uh...” He starts, brow furrowing a little. You lift your shirt wordlessly and reach out, taking hold of his hand and placing it on your belly.

You see a shift in him, and he takes a step closer.

You watch him raise his other hand, gently smoothing his hands around your stomach. You lift your eyes to his face, taking in his warm, watering eyes, his full lips pursed into a thin line, and his lashes fluttering as he blinks rapidly, perhaps trying to hide his tears.

You hope the baby has his curls.

Santiago becomes a more frequent visitor in the last two months of your pregnancy.

He starts visiting not only to check in on how the baby’s doing. He starts speaking with you, too. You start getting to know the father of your child.

It’s...Kind of nice. The film of nerves and distance drop away, and the teasing and smiles that led you to sleep with him in the first place sneak back in.

A week before your due date, you sit on your couch with Santiago, watching a movie, Santiago’s hand absently resting on the swell of your baby bump.

“...Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?” He suddenly asks.

You glance over at him and nod, “Yeah.” Then, “You wanna know?”

Santiago glances down at your belly before turning back to the tv.

“Nah.”

You smile a little bit, turning back to the tv. “Alright.”

“I can wait.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s only a week.”

“Sure, Garcia. Keep protesting, I’m finding it cute.”

When you go into labor, Santiago is the first person you call.

He’s at your apartment in three minutes.

When your baby girl is born, Santiago is right there with you, telling you to push, telling you you’re doing an amazing job

As Santiago cradles the baby, as he strokes over her tiny nose, he mutters, “You could’ve just told me it was gonna be a girl.”

You smile tiredly up at them, eyes on the bundle. “You actually waited the week. I’m impressed.”

Santiago spends the first few months close to you. He starts to sleep on your couch.

When that begins to bother his neck, you offer to let him sleep in bed with you, “Just so you—Oh, don’t look at me like that—”

“You want another one already?”

“That is not funny, Garcia. But you know what, fine, sleep on the couch, enjoy the crick in your neck.”

He starts sleeping in your bed. He has a few changes of clothes at your place.

He has a level of involvement that you never thought he’d be around for, but you’re incredibly happy with.

The two of you are also becoming more...Friendly.

You don’t know if it’s the fatigue, or the fact that you wake up in his arms most mornings, but Santiago is being more affectionate with you these days—touchier, lighter to tease.

It’s still not like that first night—things have shifted in a way that you can never change, and you know it.

Seeing the way he is with the baby helps, too.

Santiago is so good with the baby.

He’s calm. He speaks to her in tender tones. He sings to her in spanish under his breath when he’s trying to get her down.

He encourages her, teases her, is always careful with her.

Santiago is present when you need him to be. And he’s pretty sweet with you, too. 

He takes the baby to give you an afternoon, spoils you with little surprises—from a gift card for a pedicure to your favorite candy bar.

You’d never thought that it would be like...This with him. You thought you’d raise the baby alone, and that Santiago would drop in every few years to see how the kid is doing, if that.

“...She’s sleeping better now,” You tell him when the baby is around five months old.

“Yeah.”

“So...” You bite your lip, watching him wash the dishes, “So you don’t have to...I mean—” You go quiet when he looks at you, his brow furrowed in confusion. “I mean...” You avert your eyes as it seems to click with Santiago.

“I’ll stop crowding you,” he says.

“No! That’s not what I—I just, you’re paying rent for an apartment you’re, like, never at. It doesn’t seem fair to you, it’s a waste.”

“I deal with it.”

“I know you do, but that doesn’t mean you should.” And it’s stupid to say, but—“So you should move in.”

Oh. No. 

Santiago freezes for a second before he reaches out, shutting off the faucet.

“You sure about that?”

“Sure,” You offer, a little nervey, “I mean, I know it’s only five minutes away, but I’d miss you—She’d miss you, you know.”

Santiago turns to face you, and your heart thumps roughly in your chest.

“You would miss me?” He repeats.

“...Yeah,” You admit softly.

Santiago drops the dishtowel and crosses the kitchen. He cups your face and draws you in for a tender kiss.

It’s like an electric shock, it shoots right through you. Your eyes slip shut, and you raise your hands to grip his shirt tightly. 

Santiago crowds your back against the counter, his hands wandering your body covetously.

You bite back a whimper, and then groan as the baby’s wails come through the baby monitor.

The two of you part, and Santiago takes a step back, muttering, “I’ve got her.”

You tug him back in before he can get far, planting another warm kiss on him before finally letting go. He grins at you as he goes.

You raise your hands to your face once he’s gone, hiding your own grin, and its softening when you hear Santiago’s voice through the monitor just a moment later.